by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
A man asked,
How do I know if I have Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome?
Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome (TTTS) is probably not a familiar condition to most people. In fact, few people have ever heard of it.
The tensor tympani muscle, from which Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome gets its name, is one of the two tiny muscles in your middle ears. (The other is the stapedius muscle.)
The tensor tympani muscle reacts to sudden loud sounds—called the startle reflex. This startle reflex is made worse if you are particularly stressed or anxious. (1) The job of the tensor tympani muscle is to pull the tiny malleus (hammer) bone away from the eardrum (tympani), thus tensing the eardrum (hence its name tensor tympani). This reduces the volume of sounds that are transmitted to the inner ear, which helps protect the delicate inner ear structures from noise damage.
The tensor tympani muscle also has other functions. For example, it also contracts (tenses) immediately before you begin talking. This reduces the sound of your own voice so it doesn’t “deafen” you. (1) It also tenses to reduce the volume of sounds produced when you chew your food. (2) (Aren’t you glad it does this?)
The word “tonic” in this syndrome name describes the continuous or pulsing action of the tensor tympani muscle. Quite often the word “tonic” is omitted and people just refer to this syndrome as “Tensor Tympani Syndrome”.
When everything is working properly, you aren’t even aware you have two tensor tympani muscles working for you. Their actions are totally automatic. However, when something disturbs their normal functions, you may become painfully aware of their existence.
In numbers of people who have hyperacusis (where normal sounds are now abnormally loud), and who also typically have misophonia (where you have negative emotional reactions to certain specific sounds) increased (abnormal) activity develops in the tensor tympani muscle as part of the startle response to some sounds. This is called Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome.
“Tonic tensor tympani syndrome is an involuntary, anxiety-based condition where the reflex threshold for tensor tympani muscle activity is reduced, thus causing frequent spasms.” (4)
Since TTTS is an involuntary reaction, some people with hyperacusis/misophonia don’t actually even need to hear a loud sound in order to send their tensor tympani muscles into spasms. (2) This can happen when they just think about about specific sounds to which they have an aversion. Thus this condition is not really due to the hyperacusis as much as it is due to misophonia.
Misophonia frequently results in some degree of Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome. The good news is that when you successfully treat misophonia, typically the TTTS also goes away. (3)
If you have Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome you will experience one or more of the following symptoms. Typically, the worse your hyperacusis/misophonia, the more symptoms of TTTS you will exhibit. Also, you are more likely to have more TTTS symptoms if you have both tinnitus and hyperacusis.
Classic Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome symptoms include:
Pain: You may experience a sharp pain in your ear when the tensor tympani muscle tightens and stretches your eardrum, or you may experience a dull ache in your ear. You may also experience pain in your cheek, pain in your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) area or pain along the side of your neck due to irritation of the trigeminal nerve that activates the tensor tympani muscle. In addition, you may have a headache.
Numbness and/or burning sensation: Irritation of the trigeminal nerve can also lead to numbness and burning sensations in and around your ear, along your cheek, the side of your neck and in the temporomandibular joint area.
Tinnitus: This may sound like a series of clicks as your tensor tympani muscle rapidly contracts and relaxes.
Fluttering sensation: You may experience rhythmic sensations such as your eardrum fluttering. This occurs when the tensor tympani muscle continually and rhythmically contracts and relaxes.
Feeling of fullness: You ear may feel “full” or blocked. As a result, you may frequently experience a popping sensation.
Muffled hearing: You may feel your hearing is fluctuating or is muffled although typically neither is true. Your hearing may also seem distorted.
Balance problems: You may have mild vertigo or “disordered” balance—often described as “swaying” like being on a boat. This may lead to feelings of nausea. (1)
In one study, “the most common symptoms were aural fullness (33.0%); headache (21.2%); disordered balance (20.3%); TMJ pain (20.0%); pain along the side of the neck (20.0%); tympanic flutter (19.1%); dull ache in ear (19.1%); sharp pain in ear (17.7%); “muffled” hearing (12.5%); and “distorted” hearing (11.0%).” (1)
In people with either hyperacusis, or both tinnitus and hyperacusis, the most common symptoms which developed or were made worse by exposure to loud/intolerable sounds were: “distorted” hearing 78.6%, “muffled” hearing 75.9%, dull ache in ear 74.0%, sharp pain in ear 66.7%, tympanic flutter 59.2% and aural fullness 53.3%. (1)
Other things to consider when determining whether you might have TTTS include: Are your symptoms constant as opposed to occurring relatively infrequently? Do your symptoms appear after you have exposed your ears to loud/ intolerable sounds. If you have TTTS symptoms all the time, are they made worse when you expose your ears to loud/intolerable sounds? (1)
If you answered yes to these above questions, this indicates that you likely have TTTS.
Here are several interesting findings related to Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome.
1. People with Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome typically ended up with their tinnitus and/or hyperacusis/misophonia as a result of exposure to loud sounds, whereas those people whose tinnitus/hyperacusis was not the result of exposure to loud sounds are unlikely to have TTTS.
2. The more severe your tinnitus and/or hyperacusis is, the more likely you are to have more/multiple symptoms of TTTS.
3. In people with Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome, there is a link between their emotional states and their resulting middle ear muscle contractions. Thus, if you form a negative emotional attachment to your tinnitus and/or hyperacusis, you may develop one or more TTTS symptoms. Conversely, if you don’t let your tinnitus and/or hyperacusis become a problem to you (remain emotionally neutral towards them), you are unlikely to develop TTTS. In this sense, Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome is a psychosomatic condition.
4. If you believe that certain loud (to you) sounds have damaged your ears (when they haven’t), you are setting yourself up for developing various TTTS symptoms. Conversely, if you treat such incidents as no big deal (no emotional involvement), you are unlikely to develop TTTS and will much more readily habituate to your tinnitus and hyperacusis if any develops.
This is borne out by the conclusions of researchers who concluded that “74.0% of hyperacusis patients with the symptom of dull ache in the ear and 66.7% of hyperacusis patients with the symptom of sharp pain in the ear reported these symptoms developed or were exacerbated by loud/intolerable sound exposure. These patients readily believe that their ears are no longer able to physically tolerate these sounds, or that these sounds are causing damage to their ears or hearing, and should be avoided. This unpleasant consequence of exposure to sounds perceived as intolerable and the threat of further exposure is likely to play a significant role in tinnitus escalation and the development, persistence and escalation of hyperacusis.” (1)
If you have Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome, you need to realize that it does not harm your ears, even though you might swear that it is damaging your ears. This is because you perceive the sounds as louder than they really are. The truth is that moderate, everyday sounds do not harm your ears or cause hearing loss.
5. Effective hyperacusis and misophonia therapy reduces the frequency and severity of TTTS symptoms.
6. Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome symptoms “are subjective and can cause high levels of anxiety. This can lead to tinnitus escalation, the development and escalation of hyperacusis, and limit the efficacy of tinnitus/hyperacusis therapy.” (1) In other words, the more you worry about your tinnitus, hyperacusis and resulting TTTS symptoms, the worse they get.
Therefore, if you have Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome, you need to seek effective treatment for your tinnitus, hyperacusis and misophonia. When you do that, there is a good chance that your TTTS will go away on its own.
Addendum—TTTS and TMJ and/or C1/C2 Cervical Problems
The above is the common view of TTTS and its causes. However, there is a growing body of evidence pointing to another, and totally different, cause of TTTS. Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome can also be the result of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) problems and/or upper cervical spine problems—specifically, your C1 and C2 vertebrae being out of proper alignment.
Often TMJ and upper cervical spine problems are related, and thus, just as often occur together. This typically happens if you get whiplash from being involved in a motor vehicle accident. You can put your neck vertebrae “out” at the same time as you damage your TMJ. Because various nerves become “pinched”, this can lead to the clicking sounds (a kind of objective tinnitus) that you perceive as TTTS.
In fact, according to Dr. Stylis,”In cases of whiplash trauma, whilst injury to the cervical spine is often blamed as the cause of tinnitus, it is usual that there is a concomitant ‘jaw lash’ injury resulting in tender temporomandibular joints which is the cause of the tinnitus. Studies have indicated that TMJ trauma occurs in figures extending from 87% to 96% of cases of whiplash injuries following motor vehicle accidents” (5)
Therefore, if you experience TTTS in the days, weeks, months or longer after you have been in a motor vehicle accident, the cause may not be due to traditional causes as explained above, but may be the direct result of your C1/C2 vertebrae being out of proper alignment and/or due to pressure being put on nerves and other body structures affecting your middle ear as a result of TMJ problems.
If this is your experience, then you want to go to a dentist or other specialist to be sure there is nothing wrong with your TMJ. At the same time, you would do well to go to a special kind of chiropractor called an upper cervical spine chiropractor to be sure your C1 and C2 vertebrae are in proper alignment. You can find an upper cervical chiropractor by going to http://www.upcspine.com/ and clicking on the “Practitioners” tab .
Does going to an upper cervical chiropractor really work? Here is one lady’s experience. She wrote:
I went to a Blair upper cervical chiropractor for another ear condition and discovered my C1 and C2 were subluxated. It took months of adjustments but the fluttering, thumping and pain are now gone. I do notice some tugging pressure once in a while when I need to be adjusted but it is nothing like I was enduring from the start.
________
(1) Westcott, Myriam, et. al. 2013. Tonic tensor tympani syndrome in tinnitus and hyperacusis patients: A multi-clinic prevalence study. Noise & Health, March-April 2013, Volume 15:63, 117-28.
(2) Tensor Tympani Muscle. Wikipedia.
(3) Jastreboff, Pawel & Margaret. Decreased sound tolerance (DST): hyperacusis and misophonia. 2012.
(4) Westcott M, et. al. 2013. Tonic tensor tympani syndrome in tinnitus and hyperacusis patients: a multi-clinic prevalence study. PubMed.
(5) Stylis, Stan. 2012. Tinnitus and the TMJ—Australasian College of Ear, Nose and Throat Physicians.
Hi, I found this extremely helpful. I have T in both ears, but TTTS symptoms in my left ear, are driving me crazy. At least now, I feel like I’m on the right track to getting properly diagnosed, and hopefully treated!
Cheers.
Matthew.
Hi everyone. I think I have this condition. It subsided once but has returned but I think it was triggered by the noise of having ear wax removal on both occassions. I find that if I hold a mug of warm water over each ear in turn it really does alleviate the symptons. I do this most days some more often than others. Thank God this simple solution works for me. Please let me know if doing this helps you. All the best, Colin
Do you mean that you let the watwr go into your ear or something else, please?
I think she means to get a mug of warm water and lean your ear over it and hold it there not out the water in the ear. Just the steam and warmth moisture are going into the ear.
I have a twitching against my eardrum,, it’s like someone has shouted down my ear without the shout.. it’s been very random for 7 weeks but th last few days has started around 3 to 5pm ish it’s really uncomfortable and there seems to be no reason why it starts.. I’ve ended up folding my ear lope upwards over my ear and pressing gentle to stop me from feeling the twitching but know I wrap a hair band or scarf over it so I don’t have to use my hand… gawd!
,
Hey Did your ear spasm ever go away? If so, what did you do to treat it?
I have that sensation in both ears, and I thought I had hearing loss, but the audiogram shows that I am hearing “better than normal”… Still I have sometimes pain, fullness sensation and the feeling I am not hearing as well as before (specially in crowded places). I had tinnitus in both ears and i am under a very stressfull time, but sometimes I feel I really becoming deaf…could this be?
This is exactly what I’ve been going on for over 3 years now. Driving me crazy. The flutter in my left ear started about a week ago
Seems like you might have what’s called ”hidden hearing loss”:
https://youtu.be/ZGmPG94Rmr8
Maybe you’ve found out that by now since your post is from 2014. 🙂 Hope you’re doing better anyway!
Hi Martin:
That link you gave gives a great overview of hidden hearing loss, but I do not believe Diego has this problem–note that his hearing is “better than normal” which is more indicative of some form of hyperacusis rather than hidden hearing loss.
Cordially,
Neil
Maybe so, but I’m just thinking that as far as I understand “hidden hearing-loss” won’t show up in an ordinary audiogram, but rather in test where “speech in noise” are conducted.
I have been diagnosed with having the ear muscle not respond to push and pull during testing. They told me to come back but I neglected I ran from it and forgot about it for years. Its in my right ear I know that, I had ear infections a pletny as a kid and had tubes put in, could accupunture help with the c1c2 vertebrae because Im scared of chiropractors as I saw a story of one that paralyzed a woman during an adustment.
Hi Amanda:
I assume you mean that your eardrum isn’t moving as it should. Is that right? If so, that should give you some degree of conductive hearing loss.
Acupuncture isn’t very effective when you have vertebrae out of place as acupuncture doesn’t put them back where they belong and properly align them.
You don’t have to be concerned about chiropractic being dangerous to your health. In the following link,
https://chiro-trust.org/advanced/safety-comparison-allopathic-vs-chiropractic-healthcare/
the article details the number of deaths and serious injuries by doctors vs chiropractors. The summary of the article is given here.
“The data presented here indicates that medical care is incredibly dangerous. The authors estimate that hospital errors kill 251,000 Americans yearly (the 3rd leading cause of yearly US deaths), and hospital non-error “fallout” kills an additional 106,000 Americans yearly (the 4th -6th leading cause of yearly US deaths). These numbers total 357,000 yearly hospital medical deaths. It is reasonable to assume that a similar number of deaths occur outside of the hospital setting (nursing homes, extended care facilities, at home, etc.).
In contrast, chiropractic spinal manipulation, even to the cervical spine, is incredibly safe. In a typical year there are zero reported deaths linked to chiropractic care, and if one such death is alleged it tends to make sensational news. Chiropractic students and chiropractors are extensively trained in spinal anatomy and spinal biomechanics. They are also extensively trained in the science and art of spinal adjusting (specific directional manipulation). They are taught to avoid injury risk, and to recognize serious events that are in progress, making the appropriate referral.
Even the use of prescription NSAIDs for pain results in the deaths of 16,500 Americans yearly (the 15th leading cause of yearly US deaths). The concern is that in the randomized clinical trial reviewed, chiropractic spinal adjusting was better than five times more effective in alleviating chronic back and neck pain as compared to these drugs, and this was achieved with no side effects. Importantly, the one-year follow-up to this study showed the benefits of chiropractic to be stable.”
You’ll notice that doctors are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year vs chiropractors 0 to 1 death.
Just doctors prescribing NSAIDs for back pain causes 16,500 deaths per year vs none for chiropractors. And you are afraid of chiropractors?
The truth is that in general doctors and the news media are biased against chiropractors and use every opportunity to give them bad press. You’ll notice that they don’t cite the true statistics that show medical care is incredibly more dangerous to your health than are chiropractors.
I’ve gone to chiropractors for more than 60 years when necessary without any of the side effects that the press so glibly attributes to chiropractic.
So, if your vertebrae are out of proper alignment, in my opinion, based on articles such as I quoted above and on my experience, chiropractic is the safest way to go for effective results.
Cordially,
Neil
I have all the symptoms of tonic tensor tympani syndrome and my anxiety is overwhelming. The fullness and pressure in my ears when I talk is very frightening and I am at the end if my tether with this. If I can calm my anxiety down, will these awful symptoms go away. Please help.
My husband did not develop his TTTS problem until he fell backwards and bounced the back of his head off the pavement resulting in a concussion and tore part or his bicep at the shoulder area. I believe his problem could be related to the cervical vertebra as mentioned since he did not have this problem before and his neck got a good jerk during this fall.
Hi same thing kind of happened to me,fist I had shoulder pain after excersize then a stiff neck followed by headache in temple that wouldn’t go away for days things have been ok for a few weeks and tonight I felt this horrible rumble in my ear so have googled it and came to this page,it’s It’s quite fightening and feeling that something’s not right.
2 years ago, I fell and hit the back of my head. Gave myself a concussion. In April of this year, I also now have this TTTS .
cover the ear when loud noises occur
Yes!!! Oh my gosh! My calves twitch, ears ring horribly, I have incredible head pack and my jaw and next are so tight! I need relief! I fann9t believe I found something that best describes whR IL going through!
I get the Fluttering sensation, a Feeling of fullness, Balance Problems and more but I also get very nauseated and terrible Vertigo sensation that also causes me to have to crawl on the floor if I am not by something to support myself. I have been trying to see if anyone gets these problems and if so, has there been any relief from a Doctor for them. Along with these problems, I can barely understand some one talking to me. These problems have got me trapped in my Home with only contact with my spouse anymore.
Tina… Go to your doctor and get him/her to check for mineres disease and if that is clear check for Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, which is easily treatable by a physiotherapist, it causes the same symptoms that you describe.
Maybe a good idea to see a good audiologist as well!
Regards Rich
I have TTTS and I’m so frightened it will never go away. Every time I talk or eat, my ear hurts, rings and feels full. What can I do to help it improve? I’m getting more and more isolated and sad. Sorry for such a negative post…
Sandra
Hi Sandra:
Have you gone to an ear specialist–ENT or otologist? What did he say? That would be the first step.
Regards
Neil
Good afternoon Dr.
I was just told by the VA that I have this condition. Outside VA doctors are saying I have a mild TBI, the VA rejected the claim with TBI. Eve since I had had a fall of about 20 feet, everything in my life changed. I have severe sensitivity to light and sound. Either one gets me very agitated and suffer headaches from both. Would this condition be caused from Trauma to the head? Thank you
Hi Bill:
You may have both Tonic Tensor Tympani syndrome (TTTS) AND Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). But I don’t think either one is your fundamental problem. After falling 20 feet, you almost certainly put your back out of whack. And if your C1 and C2 vertebrae are out of proper alignment, you could suffer all the symptoms you mention.
So, before worrying whether you have TTTS or TBI or anything else, I’d go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and have him specifically check out that your C1 and C2 vertebrae (as well as the rest of them) are in proper alignment. That may largely fix your problems, or at alleviate most of them.
After that, then you can fine tune treatment for whatever is left.
I’ve mentioned several times in my comments under this article how to find an upper cervical chiropractor–so look for the links in some of my other comments.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Neil,
I’m having this strange problem that out of nowhere my inner ear “ flutters “ or “ something shifts” or something… then rt after.. I have a horrible vertigo attack… lasts about 40 seconds or so.. then goes… I went to a specialist… they did an MRI on my brain.. thank goodness that was ok… but it’s a horrible problem that just comes out of nowhere… I e had it now for about 3 months
Hi Lynn:
If you feel a fluttering in your middle ear (not inner ear), then you likely have tonic tensor tympani syndrome (TTTS) as you already know.
One of the rarer symptoms of TTTS is vertigo, but as you have experienced, it only lasts for a short time. Dizziness and imbalance issues MUCH more commonly accompany TTTS.
What happened 3 months ago that might have caused this to occur? Any ideas? Do you expose your ears to a sudden loud, unexpected sound? Were you particularly stressed out or anxious back then? Those are two common causes of TTTS.
Reducing your stress/anxiety can go a long ways towards reducing TTTS episodes.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr Neil.
This article has been very helpful as I have been dealing with sharp inner pains for a year and a half consistently.
Went to an ENT last year and she could find no signs of infection even though I was experiencing the pains while being seen.
This is what has led me to believe that it is TMJ related.
Also it being psychosomatic makes perfect sense considering each time I get a shooting pain in there, it triggers my anxiety which makes (seemingly) more frequent.
A friend of mine told me mouthguards can save me time and trips to have MRI’s and CT scans.
What do you think?
Hi Ty:
Mouth guards may help, but I think they are a band aid approach because they are not getting at the fundamental underlying cause of TMJ (assuming you have it). You want to answer the question, “Why is the TMJ out of place?” and that typically goes back to your vertebrae being out of proper alignment causing muscles, tendons, nerves to be malfunctioning, and thus causing TMJ problems.
So what I’d probably do is first go to an upper cervical chiropractor and find out whether everything is properly aligned. Once you know that, then see what symptoms remain that need to be addressed.
Otherwise you are, to use a house analogy, constantly fixing cracks in the walls, when the real problem is the foundation has shifted and is causing the walls to crack. Thus, you want to fix the shifting foundation problem first.
Now back to your symptoms–when this first began a year and a half ago, what changed back then to shift your “foundation”? Did you experience any trauma such as a car accident and consequent whiplash, or a sports injury, or a fall, or some sort of head trauma, etc.? That is the place to start.
Once you know the cause, then you can repair the “foundation” and only then, fix the “cracks” which could be TTTS or TMJ, etc.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman! Hope you’re doing well. I am still awaiting my X-ray results from my upper cervical appt. I’ll find out next week. Is there anything I can do in general to better my inner ear health? Vitamins or anything?
I also had another question pop up… I have constant tinnitus in my left where it seems all of my TMJ symptoms are worse… but sometimes in my right ear I will have a random ringing beep noise for a few seconds. Different than the “transient ear noise” that is followed by muffled hearing. (We spoke about that before I do get that too) but I’m wondering if it’s also some form of tinnitus. I guess it doesn’t always have to be constant to be considered that?
I also vape… I am trying to quit as we speak. I’m sure that it doesn’t help my tmj or teeth clenching in the slightest bit. Before I used to think it didn’t use my tmj joint but it’s the same movement as drinking out of a straw so I’m sure it does. Probably making my symptoms worse. Let me know what you think. I’ll let you know my X-ray results soon.
Thanks!
Hi Alyssa:
Inner ears need the same things a healthy body needs. But they particularly need magnesium and zinc for proper functioning. The most bioavailable form of magnesium is magnesium threonate, while the most bioavailable form of zinc is zinc picolinate.
Beeping noises are one of the many tinnitus sounds. Tinnitus sounds don’t have to be constant sounds. They can be short-term too.
You can stop vaping now. All it really needs is lots of will power. Just determine you won’t do it ever again and stop. Just be prepared for your body to crave it again, but hang tough and the cravings will eventually go away.
Cordially,
Neil
Did this ever improve? Talking is a huge challenge for me as well
Hi Dr Neil
My ENT suggested a possible fluid imbalance in the inner ear coupled with anxiety and to cut out salt and caffeine, which I am now doing. However, my worst symptoms are when I talk or eat or get upset and I can’t help but keep coming back to TTTS.
I am working on reducing the stress in my life and hopefully time will help resolve my ear symptoms.
Kind regards and thank you,
Sandra
I have had this awful condition for 18 months following a virus which affected my ears
I have developed debilitating anxiety with hyperacusis, tinnitus and constant aural fullness
Because of otoxicity in certain drugs I have not taken anti depressants although I do take 0.5 mg of Ativan daily to take the ege of my anxiety
I have had every test there is including an. MRI scan and all have come back ok
The medical profession in my area seem to have given up on me
I am becoming suicidal as there does not seem to be any hope left
Hi Brian:
There is always hope. Your extreme anxiety is causing much of the problem. Now you need to become part of the solution. Don’t sit around and feel that you are the victim. Realize that you are the one person that can do a lot to get your anxiety under control. This is not optional. You NEED to get your anxiety under control. If you don’t, you are just going to make matters worse and worse.
I’m not an advocate of drugs for anything when there are other solutions available. Since your medical doctors don’t know what to do, you should seek help from alternative medicine practitioners. Have you tried the anti-anxiety herbals that are available such as Valerian?
Can you find a therapist that will work with you to reduce your anxiety (without drugs)?
You might want to seek out a tinnitus and hyperacusis center to help with those conditions as well.
Regards
Neil
I’ve been having trouble with my right ear (which is also on the side of my trigeminal neuralgia ). Where sounds like some people’s voices (not all syllables, but some), cause like a pressure in my ear almost like wind blowing really hard in it and vibrating it! But when i went to the dr. and had him check, thinking it was fluid or a strange infection, he said there was no fluid build up and it looked good). it has gotten a lot worse the last few months…it is driving me insane (literally…insane). I am now having to wear headphones you would use at a shooting range, just to keep it from happening. If this TTTS is indeed the cause, then how can I cure it when my trigeminal neuralgia is triggered by some sounds as well? I am at a loss. My TN has gotten worse this month and anti-convulsant is no longer working, at highest possible dosage. I need help. 20yrs of TN, and now this… I cannot cope.
Sincerely,
Audra
Hi Audra:
I think I know what your problem is. I think both your trigeminal neuralgia and your ear problems are caused by your top two vertebrae (C1 & C2) being out of alignment. To fix both conditions at the same time is quite simple, but you need to go to the right doctor.
You want to go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor. And not just any one, but one that has had lots of experience in successfully treating people with trigeminal neuralgia and ear problems.
I wrote a long article about using these upper cervical spine chiropractors in relation to Meniere’s disease, but it works equally well for people with trigeminal neuralgia and related ear conditions. I didn’t mention much about trigeminal neuralgia in this article because I was focusing exclusively on Meniere’s disease, so don’t let that throw you and think it doesn’t apply to trigeminal neuralgia and your Eustachian tube and middle ear problems since both are caused by the same nerve not functioning properly.
Read this article carefully, then find yourself a good upper cervical chiropractor–the article tells you how, or you could travel to see Dr. Burcon himself–he’s the world expert on this. The link to this article is http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/atlas-adjustments-alleviate-menieres-disease/
This is what I’d do if I were in your shoes.
Cordially,
Neil
I have this same issue, with the trigeminal neuralgia and ear pressure/vibrating wind sound. I also get migraines and sharp pains and dull aches in my ear, and fullness in the right. The sound of my own voice is so loud I have to whisper or talk very low much of the time. I have had my cervical spine x-rayed in the past and it did reveal some issues such as cervical lordosis and arthritis so I am sure that is probably the root of my problems. But I am scared to see a chiropractor because I also have MGUS and osteopenia and have read stories of people getting fractures and paralysis due to the chiropractic adjustments because of the weak bones. If I do nothing, and just learn to live with these symptoms will it get worse, or are there any potential consequences to not treating this type of problem? My neurologist is now treating me with propranolol for the migraines which helps with head pain and pressure a little bit, but is not doing much for my ear symptoms or sound sensitivity so far.
Hi Christine:
There is a big difference between the way conventional chiropractors adjust you and the way upper cervical chiropractors adjust you. Here is a quote from my book, “Say Good Bye to Meniere’s Disease”.
“If you are worried about chiropractors being too rough and jerking you around and cracking you up, you’ll be in for a pleasant surprise. You see, upper cervical chiropractors do not “manipulate” your neck; they “adjust” it. This adjustment technique is quite tolerable, non-invasive and involves no twisting or cracking of your neck.
Buchanan explains,
Cutting through the noise about manipulation, it’s important to understand that there is a huge difference between “manipulation” and “adjustment”. True upper cervical spine chiropractors don’t just grab your head and twist your neck “hoping” to unlock, some “locked” vertebrae. Nor do they crack, crunch, rotate, or take your neck to its full range of motion and move it with high velocity in the other direction. This type of approach is what I would call manipulation.
Upper cervical spine chiropractors, on the other hand, are very deliberate and very measured in their approach. They measure displacements in upper cervical vertebrae with accuracy, utilizing precision X-rays to analyze such displacements thoroughly in order to determine the best direction of the adjusting force to achieve the best result possible. This specific before and after measurement and correction is the hallmark of the upper cervical spine chiropractor and determines the difference, in my opinion between manipulation and adjustment.”
In your case, I’d suggest you find an upper cervical chiropractor that uses the “Blair” method for adjusting your vertebrae as they are the most gentle of all the upper cervical techniques in my opinion.
If you do nothing, you are certainly not going to get better, and may get worse. If I were in your shoes, I’d go to a “Blair” upper cervical chiropractor and see whether he could help me. I’d explain all my medical problems so he’d know what he was dealing with. Then, if he thinks he could help me, I’d let him do his thing.
You can find Blair and other upper cervical spine chiropractors by going to http://www.upcspine.com/ and clicking on the “Practitioners” button near the top. Then select your state and then look for the chiropractor near you than practices the Blair method–shown in each listing about 3 lines from the bottom. Just be aware, there are very few Blair chiropractors around.
Cordially,
Neil
My neurologist prescribed me TEGRETOL 200 mg. It worked for me.
What were the exact symptoms that you had?
Did u ever get a solution?
Hi Dr. Neil
Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to reply and offering me wise and sensible advice
Funnily enough I have just bought some Valarian tablets on someone elses advice and I will persue the other options but as you say at the end of the day its down to me
I am also reading Claire Weekes Self help for your nerves which seems to offer some good advice
I need to be positive and strong and help myself
Thank you
Kind regards
Brian
Hi, I particularly can relate to Sandra and Brian. My noises in my right ear began last night, just like someone had flipped a switch and the “moth-like sensation bumping around in my ear” started and has been pretty much continuous all through last night and today. It is a fluttering sensation, a bit like when your eye twitches uncontrollably (except that if is inside my ear). It sounds like drips of water falling rapidly on a tightly stretched umbrella and I have had muffled hearing and fullness in my ear for years. Recently I’ve had a bit of a spacey feeling too in my head which reminds me a bit of when you come off a ship and you still feel like the ship is moving. Not pleasant. I’m 50 years old now and even as a child had bothersome ears so I suppose I have to expect something is likely to cause me problems with my ears eventually. Recently I have had several weeks of unrelenting stress, causing extreme anxiety so I can sympathise and now this fluttering just makes me more on edge. I just need to learn ways to deal with the worry and anxiety and it’s not easy. I’ve also had a bronchial infection, which after weeks is still causing me to cough a bit so I don’t know if this could have contributed. I suspect not – my money is on the stress! I will go and see an audiologist first for diagnosis of what I’m suspecting is TTTS and then maybe an ENT. I’m trying to relax and remain positive that this will one day stop by itself (I hope). Strange things happen in the body and I have had lots of strange things happen over the years. Sometimes you suffer things for a while then they just go away. My very best wishes (and sympathy) to all who are trying to cope with this annoying and distressing syndrome. A good thing though – it’s reassuring to know I’m not alone. Dee
Hi. I know your post was a long time ago but your symptoms sound exactly like mine. Did it ever just go away?
Thanks , sarah
I have had hearing loss since my early 20s that decreased to complete deafness in one ear and 10% hearing in the other. I had cochlear implant surgery in 2012 on the deaf ear and in 2013 on the other ear, therefore, now I’m totally deaf without the implants on. With them on, I hear almost perfectly. I’ve had tinnitus all my life but it stopped within a few months of my first implant. Now about a month ago, I started having a rapid-fire loud irratic clicking sound on my side that went totally deaf in 2012. This sound has been constant now for a month. It is masked somewhat during the day with my implants on but at night when I take them off, it is deafening and driving me crazy. It’s like a Geiger-counter clicking all the time. Could this be TTTS? I have apts. with my ENT and audiologist this week.
Hi At last I think i have found whats causing my ear problems. I am 50 and all this started at my mother in laws funeral 13 years ago. My ear felt like something had popped open and my voice sounded weird and distorted, sniffing hard or bending my head down cleared it. Two years later I got labyrinthitis which was awful! since then the vertigo has never gone but it has been diagnosed as benign positional vertigo and after many trips to the ENT with special head exercises to do, I still get vertigo. During a first aid course I couldnt participate due to not being able to lie flat on the floor! I get aural fullness in my ear which makes my voice sound muffled and fluttering in my other ear. The last ENT doctor I saw said its a benign condition and nothing could be done. I wish something could be done as although its benign its a very debilitating condition. I feel I cant tell anyone about it because it sounds like im being a hypochondriac.
Good luck to you all 🙂 its reassuring to find other people with the same problems as me.
I have been putting up with these sensations for over 4 years now. At first it started when I was watching a live band and I had to quickly leave the venue as the noise was intolerable. Then I noticed if cutlery or metal pans were dropped I couldn’t bear the noise. I googled the symptoms and went to the docs where my GP told me to ‘avoid loud places’!!!! Then one and a half years ago the feeling of fullness in my ear, burning up my left cheek, down my neck, arm and numbness in my left hand gradually got worse. I feel like my left ear is going to burst. It randomly clicks away. Very annoying. The burning and pain I feel down my left side is awful. It’s there ALL the time. I’m going to the docs tomorrow, I’m going to print off these symptoms and not leave until I am am either referred to a specialist or offered maybe a muscle relaxant. SO pleased I found this information as I felt like I was moaning all the time. I have had A lot of stress, which i did think had caused this. The GP gave me steroid drops to put up my nose when I was there 2 weeks ago about the clicking in my ear and the feeling of fullness and burning.
Hi Kathryn:
Yes, indeed, stress can make things much worse. Actually, it is not the stress as such, but how you respond to the stress that is the real problem. You need to learn how to successfully deal with your stress (if you can’t reduce it) so that it does not take over your life (and your health).
Regards
Neil
Dr. Neil,
How would you diagnose TTTS versus general Dysacusis due to nerve damage from loud exposure to sounds?
I was exposed to a shotgun seven years ago and have had ringing and distorted hearing every since (I am an anxious person and it is certainly worse when I am more anxious/sterssed).
Hi Chris:
You haven’t given me near enough information to decide between TTTS and dysacusis. I’d suggest you read my article again carefully and note whether you have most of the symptoms of TTTS or not. If you do, then you likely have TTTS, but if you don’t, then I’d tend to go with dysacusis. And of course, there is nothing so say that you can’t have both at the same time. So it could be a combination of both.
Cordially,
Neil
Doctor Neil, could TTTS cause constanct dizziness? Is a mild one, can’t focus my eye sight, I use to have pulling/fullness in left side, but it was for like 1 day or so and it got better and better but my dizziness is constant, could it be ttts? I had c1 and c2 align, and I have some clicking on my bottom jaw, I did fix my upper cervical issue but I have not checked my jaw, if I fix my jaw could the dizziness go away? Thank you so much, you’re a very generous person!
Hi Albert:
From what you have said, I don’t think you have TTTS. It seems more likely that you have a vestibular (balance) issue. Since you eyes are also involved, it may be that your vestibulo-ocular reflex is not working properly. This reflex ties together your eyes and the balance part of your ears.
I’d suggest you go to a balance clinic and have your vestibular function of both ears assessed and see whether that is the basis for our problem.
It’s also a good idea to make sure your TMJ is working properly too.
Cordially,
Neil
Ok I had this after the adjustment of my neck, could something go wrong in a precise neck adjustment? And I also have hearing notch tinnitus and some kind of hyperacusis, I’m under allot of anxiety and sometimes I feel my jaw muscles tight that I clench my yaw, could my jaw or neck muscles cause this kind of dizziness? Thank you!
Hi Albert:
Your dizziness could be due to a misadjustment in your neck. I’d think it unlikely to occur with good upper cervical chiropractors, but there is always that possibility–especially if it occurred after a given adjustment.
Have you been on any new drugs from just before the dizziness began. Dizziness is the most commonly reported ototoxic side effect and most drugs have this side effect on some people. So you need to rule out all drugs and medications.
Cordially,
Neil
And if I have vestibular disorder could it be curable? I’m overly anxious I dont want to be dizzy for ever 🙁
Hi Albert:
Typically, I’d say that dizziness is mostly temporary and not permanent. The trick is to find the basic cause and then fix it and the dizziness should go away.
Cordially,
Neil
Can it be anxiety causing my dizziness, I have constant anxiety and even if I go fishing or spent time out I’m still thinking of my dizziness and not calming myself down causing more anxiety? Thank you Albert!
Hi Albert:
Anxiety can certainly cause tinnitus, but I don’t think I’ve read about it causing dizziness as such.
Cordially,
Neil
this info is a lifesaver.. something connected the dots with & I understood what has happened.. this high pitched hissing showed up in my head about 8 months ago ,, typically after a very stressful time. I noticed my shoulders & neck , very tight & giving me headaches..
0 – a significant part of my stress was the neighbors aggressive barking dog.. when they moved in 9 months ago..it barked at me any time I was in my back yard or in the kitchen,, any time there was movement or light.. I developed anxiety with no good sleep & things slid down hill from there.. it barks infrequently now ,, but it had follow on effects. no sleep & exhaustion piled up on each other.
1 – I was then diagnosed with Chronic obstructive sleep apnoea. too tired to sleep well , I got a machine that blows air in my nose & propped up my collapsed nasal cavity , you’re suppose to wear an uncomfortable chin strap…. if I kept my jaw closed it wouldn’t blow it straight out my mouth again waking me up with a startle.. this set up a lock jaw tension.. the Sleep ap was extremely stressful .. I noticed I was very tense. but the machine helped me get a good nights sleep with a soundtrack of nature sounds , waves rain , streams playing in the background I relaxed.,, the consequent dreams were so intense,, REM sleep deprivation can kill you , since then my physical condition has improved. , I have noticed that the sound gets louder if I clench my jaw… but doesn’t completely go away .. when I read this report , I almost straight away noticed the tension & the pain inmy jaw , it dropped with the sound it caused if I relaxed that muscle. this knowledge was a huge relief in itself because it made sense. every time I chew there is a corresponding increase in volume effect. I’ve had a long time to find a cure for this,, thanks for this & the internet. I have the anxiety under control because I understand the cause
2 – secondly , I had all my mercury amalgam fillings removed & replaced with resin ones.. within a couple of days I noticed that my head cleared up & a fog lifted from my mind.. amazing !.. I had been feeling off colour for years.. & I could not figure out what food it was that caused it.. it was in fact the act of chewing that released mercury into my blood stream through my digestion … this is wicked & subversive.. they should ban this immediately world wide. a weird side effect of mercury in your bloodstream is that the high frequencies were dampened.. this is a typical effect of mercury poisoning. I am a sound engineer & have compared my previous sound balances,, which were very trebley , compensating for the loss of perception , to what it is now.. I got quite a shock hearing those old recordings all again with so much top end in the mix. it certainly was mercury in my body , I know this for certain despite my GP balking at it, because I had blood tests done prior to my fillings replacement .02 of a micromole ( industry alert level is .08 ) & a few months after 0.0 levels.. I felt so much better.
3 – I also quit smoking cannabis , which may have been dampening or overclouding the effects of these other two .. which is well known as a nervous system depressant..& withdrawal is the opposite of it’s initial effects.. instead of calm & dreamy , you get irritable , instead of sleeping ,, you are an insomniac , instead of hungry – you have no appetite , instead of feeling creative you feel a dead head.. these withdrawal effects wears off after a couple of weeks & within 3 months your head clears up & you feel good. normal again.
4 – I stopped drinking any water with fluoride in it… I have a water distiller & mix that with some fruit juice..
I have certainly cleaned up my act.. & now , I will learn to cure this stress related high pitch in my head.. I must add that prayer & meditation gave me a lot of peace of mind to get through this.. mostly unnecessary stress & discomfort,, thanks to our modern lifestyles & bad habits.. good luck to all. heal thyself. listen to your instinct & conscience.
I hope many others will benefit from this.. & learn to treat themselves with more love & care.
Omg I’ve been hearing a sound in my ears almost like thunder. I’ve been wondering what it is for a long time. I finally know and m glad to see what it is because I’ve been bugged by this and I didn’t know a body else had it because I try and describe it and people and they think I’m crazy.this is a life saver.
Hi Dr. NEeil
After playing some video games with headphones on (the sound was pretty loud, much louder than normally) i suddenly felt a feeling of fullness in both ears, like there was pressure on them. They also felt a bit numb. This is now two days ago and nothing has changed. I got pretty anxious about it last night and was scared i would also get tinnitus, eventually i heard a faint ringing sound for a short time which kinda freaked me out. I have had some anxiety issues for a year now and am pretty tense overall because of it. to me it seems like i have some kind of TTPS, as my symptoms match the ones you list. Will this feeling go away by itself, and does it mean i have done significant damage to my hearing?
Music is my passion and i worry that the fullness will not go away and that it, as well as hearing loss, will affect my ability to make and enjoy music.
should i wait it out some longer or visit a doctor?
Regards
Stijn
Hey there, did your feeling of fullness in you ear go away by now? If so what did you do to help?
I had ear pressure and fullness. It went away for me after doing jaw and neck stretches. Hope this helps.
Dr. Neil,
Thank you for your post. The description comes very near to my symptoms, and has partially eased the considerable anxiety this condition has caused me.
A point of clarification in my own case: my strongest and original symptom is the fluttering, which I directly associate with certain conversations. This sounds like misophonia, but I am wondering how this could be if some of my loved ones’ voices trigger the flutter. Or do I not have a correct understanding of misophonia?
Also, is there an age bracket associated with this syndrome? I am 22 and have been experiencing symptoms for about six months. Additionally, I experience erratic ice-pick headaches which are another source of anxiety. I realize all these symptoms could be self-fulfilling prophesies. Still, I am nervous about the possibility that my inner-ear trouble could be a symptom of a vascular issue. I have also come across some similarities in descriptions of pulsatile tinnitus, which come with the warning that there may be a serious underlying cause. Should I ask my ENT to order me an MRI?
Best,
Miranda
Hi, a week ago I started with the muffled drumming/fluttering noise in my left ear, it’s driving me mad, I went to the doctors but she was pretty hopeless, offering me anti biotics because the inside of my ear looked red, I told her it was red because I’d been messing around with my ear in an attempt to make the drumming stop. I suggested that it could be something akin to eyelid flutter but in my ear and she’s given me diazepam which has helped a little but it’s still there. It seems to stop if I sit still for a while but when I start moving around it comes on again, there is no pain or dizziness just the deafening drumming sound, I’m not sure I can live with it. I gather that both or minor surgery can stop the spasms. I’m going to go back to the doctors and show her this page and will not be leaving until I’ve been referred to an ear specialist.
Hello, I have the same symptoms. Did you ever get it resolved?
Hi, I have been searching for hours about a problem I have with my ears twitching. Although my symptoms are very similar to TTTS, there’s a few things that make me think it’s something different. I experience eardrum twitching when I’m stressed, worried, or any strong emotional feeling, even excitement. I also experience it when I’m in pain. But, this happens even when I feel pain in my foot, legs, back, anywhere. If I feel pain, my ears start to go crazy, usually only in one ear. It happens randomly sometimes as well. I almost never feel pain in my ear, and it never hurts when it twitches. But, I do have the negative emotional connections with some sounds, but those have been sounds I’ve been bothered by my entire life, and haven’t necessarily brought on the twitching until I was much older. I usually like to ignore my problems, but my boyfriend said I should really get this checked out.
This eardrum twitching has been a regular thing for about three years now.
I have been getting treatment for my dizziness for around 2 years now. I been getting mucked around with different GP’s and getting a cocktail of drugs to try for migraines, allergies and sickness pills and steroid sprays which are not working. ENT put a camera up my nose and tested my hearing but found nothing and sent me back to the GP.
Years ago i did have symptoms of crackly noise in my ear when i heard loud noises like my kids screaming. I haven’t felt it for a while now but I now have felt dizzy for around 2 years and a fullness in my left year now and then especially when I work out and get hot. I also get a sharp shooting pain in the back of my left eye which im not sure if its related.. could this have migrated into TTTS?
Could this be a possible diagnosis that I could put forward to my GP?
Hi Derek:
To me your symptoms sound like your neck is “out”. If I were you, I’d go to a special kind of chiropractor called an upper cervical spine chiropractor and have them check your first two vertebrae (Ci or Atlas) and C2 or Axis). (Regular chiropractors typically don’t know how to correctly adjust these two vertebrae.)
I wrote a comprehensive article on Meniere’s Disease caused by people’s necks being “out”. You’d do well to read it, or at least skim through it and digest the parts that are pertinent to your situation. This article gives the website where you can find upper cervical spine chiropractors.
Since the doctors have been “mucking around” for two years now, its time to take a different approach–one that has a good chance of success.
You can read my article at http://hearinglosshelp.com/weblog/atlas-adjustments-alleviate-menieres-disease.php
Cordially,
Neil
The crackling started in September of last year. It started after a head cold and I was told it was just fluid in my ears and to take decongestants and nasal spray. I had a feeling of fullness, the crackling noise and dull pain, but the pain could have been from me holding my ear closed to try to stop the noise. It went on for about 5 weeks and I went to an ENT and a head/neck specialist. The ENT was hesitant about saying it was TTTS but after listening to all of my symptoms, felt it could be accurate. He prescribed Valium in hopes of calming my nerves, which he felt were contributing. I had constant crackling, that would come and go, like a contraction (it would start slowly, reach a peak and then recede). It happened all day and all night. Any noise, even a fan in my room, would exacerbate it. I got to the point where I felt I was going insane, because the noise in my head would not stop. The Valium worked for me (took it once or twice a day for 7 days). Unfortunately, I had another head cold and it’s back. Heading to the dr today to see if we can head it off at the pass. Thank you all for sharing your stories…it makes me feel like I’m not crazy 🙂
Hello Gigi, You are the first person in my seven years of searching who I found that has a similar noise to mine. It is constant crackling in response to any sound. It starts out slowly, goes into a frenzy and reaches a peak and stops. And the cycle repeats all day and all night. I am wondering if you found a cure? Dr. – do you have any advice as well? I have been to eight ear specialists who do not know how to help me. I’m struggling under the constant noise after 7 years of it. Thank you.
Hi Lynn:
As you know, TTTS is exacerbated by stress, and can also be related to Eustachian tube dysfunction. Since nothing else has seemed to work, I’d suggest you try an upper cervical chiropractor to be sure your C1 and C2 vertebrae are in proper alignment. That may be all it takes as when C2 is out it can affect your Eustachian tube function among other things.
These people are able to work wonders for certain ailments and they are very gentle–not the bone cracker kind. They focus mostly on your top two vertebra (C1 (Atlas) & C2 (Axis). If this joint is “off” then you could have some of the symptoms you are experiencing.
You can find a chiropractor specializing in UCS by going to the following URL and entering your location. You can also read about the things these special chiropractors can do for you at this same website. Here is the URL.
http://www.upcspine.com/
Choose the “Practitioners” link along the top to find the one closest to you.
There is a lot of good information on UCS chiropractic on this page also.
Cordially,
Neil
I have been dealing with this ear spasm for at least a good year now. Mine seem to be triggered by my period. Usually about a week before, I get that crazy, annoying rythmatic fluttering in both ears. Almost always when I go to bed at night or after I get off the phone is when it starts. It still continues through the duration of my period and a couple of days after. And other times, my period comes and it never causes a problem. Not sure if this is TTTS, should I see my regular Dr. or a specialist?
Hi! My seems to be worse around menstruation too. How are you doing?
Dr Neil
Hi. I last year suffered a servere episode of hyperacusis and what I think was TTTS (symptoms included ear pain, fullness, tinitus and apparent hearing loss which was shown to be nonexistent through various specialist hearing tests) as a result of experimenting with abrasive-though not really “loud”- noise on my computer in an attempt to approximate noise rock through distorting the sound of my acoustic guitar.
Thankfully, I eventually recovered. However, late last week I played My Bloody Valentine’s extremely abrasive “Loveless” at a moderate volume through speakers, and as soon as I heard the first song my ears started hurting and continued to do so even when I reduced the volume. Afterwards, I have experianced more tinitus and also what seems like dulled hearing. Since I listened to the album more, I’m becoming really worried that this ONE album being played at low to moderate volume could have in only a few days forever damaged my hearing. Since my hyperacusis episode, I have taken care with loud noise and music (even embarrassingly covering my ears when I think the decibel level is too high). Could some freakish album be dangerous at any volume? Surely such a thing wouldn’t be allowed to exist, at least without a warning, and let alone come up frequently in lists of the best alternative albums. Or Could this simply be a resurgence of my TTTS?
Hi C:
I rather doubt it is a freakish album that is causing your problems. Obviously, anything played too loud and for too long a time can cause your ear problems.
Since you have had hyperacusis, even louder sounds that do not damage other people’s ears could mess up yours. So you have to be careful and not play music louder than your ears can stand. Perhaps you played this album too loud for your ears. There may be some component of the sounds that bothers your ears more than any other sounds and hence the resurgence of your hyperacusis. It’s not just loud sounds, but the “kind” of loud sound. Thus, as soon as your ears started hurting, you should have turned the sound WAY down and given your ears a rest.
As you know, it takes time for your ears to recover from hyperacusis. The good news is that they recovered before, so by carefully protecting them from more loud sounds, you should be able to do it again.
And it is always possible that your TTTS did come back. But again, you beat it once, so you can probably beat it again.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you very much for your kind response. Sory that I didn’t reply earlier! Yes, it even says in the article that it is usually specific sounds which trigger the TTTS symptoms (my case is obviously distortion). I remember when my symptoms would escalate any time I played anything on YouTube with my IPad.
Thanks again, and warm regards to you 🙂
I have the ear fluttering too but the strange thing is that yawning and burping activates the fluttering. Same syndrome?
Hi Ron:
Probably. But fluttering can be caused by wax touching your eardrum too. Never hurts to be sure your ear canals are clear of wax. Then you know it is not from that cause and thus probably TTTS.
Cordially,
Neil
My earcanals are clean though i am thinking about a botox treatment for in the tensor tympani .
greetings from AmsterdamHolland
Hello, I have the same symptoms. Did you ever get it resolved?
Hi Neil, I am so glad I found this page!! I have a fluttering in my ear. Its being going on for a month now. But its not brought on my loud noises. I get mine at night when I am sleeping or if I yawn, burp or hiccup during the day. I can have the fluttering for the full day and then its gone the next. But will come back normally 24 hours later. Would this still be TTTS ? My doctor has no idea what it is and says my ear drums look healthy. She has given me a relaxation drug to help me sleep as the sounds wake me up at night. It is really really annoying and comes every 15-20 seconds when I have it. I have started taking Magnesium supplements and reduced my caffeine intake. Is it true that chocolate and caffeine can make this symptom worse ???? I have also been referred to an ENT consultant but this is due to a blocked Eustachian tube..but I think I will mention the pulsing/fluttering. Any advice would be great xx
Hi Stephanie:
Although you don’t seem to fit the common mold regarding TTTS, it sure seems like you have it.
I’ve never heard that TTTS is affected by eating chocolate or caffeine, but maybe they do affect TTTS.
Since you have a blocked Eustachian tube, I wouldn’t be surprised if the two are not related. One thing that is common to both is that they are both controlled by the 5th (trigeminal) cranial nerve. So if the 5th cranial nerve is pinched in the top two vertebrae in your neck, it seems you can have such problems. I’m not aware that ENTs know this, but I learned this from an upper cervical spine chiropractor whom I highly respect.
Thus, if I were you, I’d try doing something out of the box. Go to an upper cervical spine specialist and have him carefully check out your C1 (atlas) and C2 (axis) vertebrae. If they are not in proper alignment, they can “pinch” the trigeminal nerve and cause problems.
You can learn more about these special chiropractors in my comprehensive (and long) article on how misalignments of the atlas and axis can cause Meniere’s disease. Just disregard the things I say specific to Meniere’s and focus on the how these guys carefully align the CI and C2 for both the trigeminal nerve and the vestibulocochlear (8th cranial) nerve.
I give the link to find these special chiropractors in this article at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/atlas-adjustments-alleviate-menieres-disease/ . My first choice would be to find a “Blair” chiropractor. If you can’t find one reasonably close, then a “NUCCA” chiropractor would be my second choice. (Note: there are about 10 different “flavors” of upper cervical spine chiropractors.)
Cordially,
Neil
I can relate to what stephanoe says mine is also activated by yawning,burping and not by noise
greetings Ron
hi ron,
yawning causes the ear fluttering with me also.. did u find any cure
Hi I have the same symptom, triggered by yawning/burping. How have things been? Did you find any more info out?
Thanks Neil, its really funny because the fluttering started a week after a massage ! Very strange. I live in scotland and could not see any spine specialists listed. I would try anything ! Is there a chance the problem can be resolved on its own ? Is it worth going to see a normal chriopractor ?
Hi Stephanie:
Something is triggering the fluttering–so you just have to find the trigger and eliminate it. It’s worth a try to go to a regular chiropractor and mention your problem and see if he can help.
Cordially,
Neil
OMG, the same thing happened to me, I came home from a massage and my right ear started fluttering. This was eight weeks ago and it is still fluttering. Dr. Neil, help.
Hi Cindy:
I’m wondering if your masseuse pressed too hard on your neck and thus put your neck out enough that it is pinching the nerve that controls your tensor tympani muscle. This seems to be the obvious possibility since it hadn’t done that before, and you had just had a massage.
My choice would be to go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and have him make sure your top few vertebrae are all in proper alignment.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for all your help. I am going to take your advice and I shall let you know how I get on. I feel better just knowing I am not the only person that has this strange ear problem. Thank you x
Hi Neil,
I have Ankylosing Spondylitis and have suffered with tinnitus for quite some time in my left year and had reached the stage where I was doing okay with it.
My right ear was never really an issue just every now and again it would go really quiet but 30 seconds later back to normal. This happened maybe 10 times in the past few years. I’ve recently had a pretty bad cold and still have a tiny bit of the illness left. Anyway, a couple of days ago I felt a tiny little popping in my right ear and then I burped or yawned or something and then all of a sudden had the weirdest sensation. It was like air going back and forth through my ear. I hoped it was very temporary but it’s been non stop the past few days. It’s like a spasm in my right ear and although isn’t constant, comes every 30 seconds to a minute (or thereabouts). It doesn’t hurt, it’s just uncomfortable and really quite scary. It feels very involuntary like a spasm.
I went to the Doctors this morning and was told my ear is clear and therefore it’s because I had a cold. I was told to use beconase if its like it in a few days but would most likely go on it’s own. I have been particularly stressed with things recently so wonder if that’s a factor. The thought of living with this is truly too much to bear, I’m absolutely miserable and don’t know what to do – any thoughts, help, anything. Thank you so much
Hi Ross:
I don’t think your weird symptoms are from the results of a cold–especially since your ears are “clear” according to the doctor. It sounds like your Eustachian tube is not working properly–maybe because your neck is out. And stress can certainly be a factor with any condition.
Since your doctors don’t have a clue, I think it’s time to think outside the box. My first thought is that your neck is “out”–particularly the top two vertebrae–known as C1 (atlas) and C2 (axis). When these two vertebrae are out, you can have problems with your Eustachian tube and get tinnitus and other ear problems.
I think what I’d do if I were you is go to an upper cervical spine specialist (a special kind of chiropractor) and have him examine your C1 and C2 and see if they are out of alignment. This could be your problem. It’s worth a try.
I wrote a long article on Meniere’s disease and C1 and C2. Read it–not for the Meniere’s information–but read between the lines on the many other things that misalignment of these two vertebrae can cause. See if anything rings a bell with you. And later in the article, I give links where you can find one of these special chiropractors. Make up your mind who to go to and see whether he can help you.
The URL of this article is http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/atlas-adjustments-alleviate-menieres-disease/
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr. Neil, I’ve had this horrible condition for two years. Was thoroughly checked by ENTs, Neuro-otologists, and Neurologists…..Nothing clinically wrong with me……..Is severing the tendons my only avenue of treatment or can this remit on its own? Been trying deep relaxation and mindful meditation with little success…….Please help, Steve….
Hi Steve:
Since nothing has shown up unusual except you apparently have TTTS, I suggest you try going to a upper cervical spine chiropractor. I wouldn’t be surprised that these guys can help you.
See my reply to Ross (11/22/2015) a couple of comments below this one for all the details.
I’d definitely try this before surgery if it was me having the problems.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Doctor Neil,
Recently i have had aucustic ear trauma from loud noise. Although, I have no hearing loss i have been under a great deal of stress over it.
Around two weeks ago i develop a fluttering in my left ear. It was mostly random and for the most part happend at night and in mornings in quieter enviorments. I started taking magnisium and the syptoms for the most part stopped. Now my only issue is I feel and hear a rumbling if i yawn or press the the left side of my head/neck/face near the left ear. I would also like to mention i have had jaw problems on my left side due to cracking it throughout the day. Could TMJ be a contributing factor as well as stress. Ive been to a highly repitable otologist who says there is no problems that he sees and should resolve. Thank you!
Hi Greg:
What you have is called somatosensory tinnitus. This can be caused by certain body movements typically near your neck and head or touching/pressing on parts of your head, neck and face. So there is no doubt that TMJ is a contributing factor in your case. Often the underlying cause is your neck–particularly C1 and/or C2 vertebrae being “out”. If you get them in proper balance, then you can get your TMJ corrected and then that kind of tinnitus should go away.
I’d suggest you first go to a special kind of chiropractor called an upper cervical spine chiropractor. They are the experts in getting C1 and C2 aligned properly. To find one, go to http://www.upcspine.com/ and click on the “Practitioners” button along the top, then select your country and local area.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for the recondition doc I will look into that. I also developed some other symptoms as well. One hearing a click when I exhale out of my left ear. And two, after I finish a sentence in a quite environment I’ll hear a thud in my right ear and a click/thud in my left. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. These are very new symptoms that formed in the passed 3 days. Thank you for the quick response and look forward to hearing from you.
Hi Greg:
I can’t really say what the clicks/thuds you are hearing are, but I’d think they are related to TTS in some way and that could be related to your C1 and C2 being out. So I still suggest trying an upper cervical chiropractor to see if they can find the source of the problem.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for the advice. It seems that my symptoms are mostly all internally reactionary. I will try to contact a chiropractor/tmj specialist. Do you believe these problems will eventually be resolved? Like i said my anxiety has been extremely high as well which is no doubt a contributing factor. I also forgot to mention, I have had tinnitus for 10+ year which i have succefully habituated. Thank you!
All the best,
Greg
Hi Greg:
If you believe anxiety is the root of the problem., I’m sure it is. You know your own body better than anyone else.
So you need to take steps to get your anxiety under control.
At the same time, anxiety can tense your muscles and pull your neck, etc out of place thus causing these other problems. Hence my suggesting chiropractic.
However, if you don’t get your anxiety under control, all that tension will undo anything good the chiropractor does.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
I’m hoping TTTS is an explanation for what I am experiencing. For over 20 years (I’m 36) I have experienced a thump/flutter/hiccup of the eardrum intermittently (either side) but almost always in relationship to talking on a cell phone or cordless phone, vacuuming, holding a hairdryer, etc. It doesn’t happen every time I do these things but always seems that when it does happen, I am doing one of these things. I would say for the last 20 years its a sensation I would have a couple times a month. For the last week I have had this same sensation, in my left ear only, many times throughout the day- in fact it’s happening as I type. It stops if I plug my ear. It is not painful at all, and it is not rhythmic. It does cause me some anxiety, because of the increased frequency and the fact that my first google search lead me to a middle ear tumor. Additionally, I have occasional brief (seconds) ringing in the ear (both sides), I get fullness in my ears times, and I often have pain at the TMJ area. I have been suffering from an “off balance” feeling for 3 years that at times is debilitating for which my doctor finds no cause. Any thoughts would be appreciated?
Thank you in advance,
Sarah
Hi Sarah:
If I were you, I think I’d go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and have them check your neck out. One clue that your neck is out is that you have pain in the TMJ area.
What happened back when you were 16? Did you have any head trauma, or did you get whiplash in a car accident, or something that caused trauma to your head and neck in some way? If so, that could explain your weird symptoms all these years.
I think that your TMJ is a contributing factor. Often the underlying cause is your neck–particularly C1 and/or C2 vertebrae being “out”. If you get them in proper balance, then you can get your TMJ corrected and then your ear problems should go away.
I’d suggest you first go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor. They are the experts in getting C1 and C2 aligned properly. To find one, go to http://www.upcspine.com/ and click on the “Practitioners” button along the top, then select your country and local area.
After your upper cervical doctor says you are in alignment, if you still have problems, you might want to go to a massage therapist that is skilled in myofascial trigger point release and see if you have any trigger points around your TMJ area that need releasing.
Cordially,
Neil
Neil: This is the first I have ever heard of TTTS. I have never had a doctor suggest this. In 1957 I was in basic training and the first day on the rifle range before ear protection was required, the 1st time we fired our M-1’s my left ear went crazy. The ringing has never stopped but some times it is worse than others. The doctors say that my (silica?) the hairs were destroyed. I have about 15% hearing in that ear. I would like to hear your comment on this. My email address is czeches@windstgream.net
Hi Clarence:
So you have had constant tinnitus ever since 1957? Obviously, your ears were quite sensitive to louder sounds. Your hair cells (with the cilia on the top) were destroyed resulting in hearing loss. And since tinnitus almost always accompanies hearing loss, it’s not surprising that you have tinnitus as well.
I’ve had tinnitus all my life since I was born with a severe hearing loss.
You haven’t mentioned anything in your comment that leads me to believe that you have TTTS. You’ve only mentioned hearing loss and tinnitus. What’s your connection to TTTS?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
I dont have any physical pain in my ear but for the last years i have experience sounds in my ear. Like a fasciculation or a drummer sound. The sound comes and goes . Its when i go to bed the sound kicks in at its worst and i have to sleep with music to make it go away. Do you think this has anything to do with TTTS? Please let me know
Hi Catherine:
Hard to say. Maybe it’s related to TTTS and maybe not. I don’t have enough information to hazard a guess in your case. I’d have to know a lot more about what you experience, how it started, etc., etc. in order to try to figure out what is happening in your case.
Cordially,
Neil
I had this condition for 6 months in 2014. Finally what I noticed continue to set it off was yawning. For the last 18 months I have not fully yawned. I put my fist under my chin to suppress the yawn and not open my jaw all the way. I have not had fluttering in a year and a half but the idea of never being able to yawn again gets me down to. You don’t even realize how nice it is to let out a normal yawn until you haven’t done it for 18 months. The anxiety of the thump coming back is just to great. I am now at the point where I am to afraid to let out a normal yawn for fear that the thumping will come back and ruin my life again.
Hi Ryan:
From the sounds of it, I suggest you go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and see if your C1 and C2 vertebrae are in alignment. See my reply to Sarah on January 5, 2016 for the link.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
Why does yawning causes the tensor tymphani muscle to spasm. How can I control it
Hi Nachi:
Good question. I think it is because both actions are caused by the same nerve, so if things are not working quite right and the nerve is overactivated, messages meant for your jaw also activate the tensor tympani muscle.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Ryan.. have you found any cure for this.i have the same condition where my yawn starts the fluttering of ear..
Hi Dr. Neil,
It gives me great pleasure to see a medical professional being so gracious with his time as to help random people on the internet. I see the common thread among multiple posters here is that they don’t give you enough info to help direct them in the right direction, so I would like to offer my own experience with short, clinical bullet points to see what you think.
– 35 year old male, 6’1 170lbs
– anxiety problems since I was a teen.
– Have been on 20mg/day of Paxil since I was 24.
– Recurrent ear infections as a child, but never the need for tubes or anything drastic.
– History of playing music very loudly, and performing music very loudly, though this has drastically decreased in frequency in the last 10 years.
– Bad ear infection during March of 2015 has left me with an approx. 11kHz tone tinnitus in my left ear ever since.
– Having come to deal with the extreme anxiety this caused me at first, I could live with the noise, but would get extremely anxious around loud situations, even ones that most people consider normal (resteraunts, bars without bands, etc.)
– The last 3-4 months I have developed a new symptom. I can feel my eardrum “thumping” in response to loud noises, my own voice, or when I touch my ear or side of my face.
– It almost NEVER happens if my surrounding environment has any sort of decent level ambient noise. But if it is very quiet, it is easily provocable.
– It didn’t worry me too much at first, but the longer it has persisted, the more anxious I have become. Mostly obsessed with “what if…” thoughts. “what if it never goes away”, “what if it gets worse”, etc.
So 2 questions. 1. Does this sound like TTTS to you? 2. If not, then what?
Hi Steve:
First, you need to get your anxiety under control. Obviously the Paxil isn’t doing the job after being on it for 11 years. I’d suggest you find a good therapist that can help you deal with your underlying feelings of anxiety.
Second, you need to protect your ears when you are around loud sounds.
Now to answer your questions. I think you have something that is a version of TTTS–but is not a classical case. I’d say you have your own version of it.
In order to get over it, you need to get your anxiety under control. Besides therapy, there are a number of things you can do to help yourself such as getting plenty of exercise, make sure your vitamin D3 levels are in the proper range (50 – 70 ng/ml.), take good probiotics to get your gut flora in good shape, cut way down on processed foods and eat about 1/3 of your natural foods raw, cut way down on fructose and artificial sweeteners, and so on.
Personally, if I were you, I’d dump the Paxil (taper off it of course). One of its side effects is that it makes you anxious–they very thing you are trying to control.
Your anxiety won’t go away overnight–but if you do the above, over time you’ll realize that you are much calmer and hopefully your ear problems will be a thing of the past by then.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Steve, your problem sounds exactly like mine. I’m also a musician. Only difference is I don’t really have anxiety. I’d like to stay in touch and discuss this condition and maybe share any success we have in treating it. Thanks
Ben
benjamin.james.bishop@gmail.com
Hi Dr Neil,
I have been suffering with ringing in my left ear for a few months now, feeling of fullness and also pulling sensations/spasms to the left side of my face – a loud drumming/fluttering sound inside my left ear woke me last night which has left me feeling anxious to what this could be. I did go a walk in centre prior to this and was told it looks dull and may need clearing – is this a case of wax build up or could this be TTTS??
Regards,
Karleen
Hi Karleen:
From what you describe, I tend not to think it is wax build-up. Wax buildup blocks your ear canal–I’ve never heard it described as “dull and needs cleaning”. But it sure doesn’t hurt to have your ear canals cleaned out. Then you know it is not from that cause.
It could be TTTS, or even an underlying cause of TTTS such as your neck (vertebrae and/or muscles) not in proper balance/alignment.
One thing you might want to try is go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor (a special kind of chiropractor) and make sure that everything is in proper alignment. You can find one near you by going to http://www.upcspine.com/prac2.asp?rid=4 and clicking on your state.
Cordially,
Neil
I, too, have been living with diagnosed (since about 7 years ago) hyperacusis , and mostly I always thought it was a “normal” way of life. It’s congenital, and my oldest son has it too.
The fluttering I now experience in my left ear more oftentimes a day (esp when quiet) feels like an insect is trapped in there. I have always had intermittent fluttering but now it’s exacerbated. Ear feels full, and hearing overall muffled on the side. Yet if I cover each ear alternately, sounds are equal. Exam at the urgent care clinic showed no fluid buildup and timpanogram was normal on both sides. Right ear flutters sometimes too. And,a the usual, clicking when yawning or swallowing has been there as long as I can remember. Were it not for the increased frequency, I prob would be living as if all were “normal” . Found out my ENT is retired so need to hunt for new one.
Hi Margaret:
Since you have TMJ–the clicking when you yawn or swallow, you likely have vertebrae, muscles out of balance. This could be causing the fluttering stuff too.
If I were you, I’d go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor (a special kind of chiropractor) and make sure that everything is in proper alignment. You can find one near you by going to http://www.upcspine.com/prac2.asp?rid=4 and clicking on your state.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr Neil
3 months ago a flattering, clicking and shotgun noise in respond to everyday sounds and especially high pitched ones have started in my left ear. After a few weeks I have developed tinnitus(ringing sound) in both ears. Then I visited many ENT doctors and got prescribed for vitamins and diagnosed with tinnitus but none of them could diagnose the flattering sounds I have in my left ear which I feel are the underline cause of my tinnitus. After a while I got popping in my right ear and some minor flattering sounds aswell with hearing and feeling my heartbeat in my ears. I have also tried the HBO therapy without any progress. I feel like my case is getting worse day by day as I am getting more anxious about it. Could this be TTTS and what are my choices of treatment? (My hearing tests showed that my hearing is good and better than normal, and the tympanogram was normal as well).
Also I have been to a club for ones after i developed tinnitus, and my tinnitus got severe right after for about a week. I am 20 years old
Regards Andy
Hi Andy:
What happened about 4 months ago that might have precipitated the ear problems. Did you have any head trauma. Motor vehicle accident, sports injury, etc., etc.? How about levels of stress or anxiety?
I wouldn’t have expected HBO treatment to help because your problem doesn’t sound to be caused by a lack of oxygen.
It could be TTTS, and then again, it might be caused by your neck out of alignment. See my replies to several other people regarding going to an upper cervical spine chiropractor. See if that helps. At least then you can rule out a bunch of sources for your problems. Let’s see what you have left after a UPC spine Doc has certified you as being in alignment.
Getting louder tinnitus from going to a noisy nightclub is common. Typically, you could expect your tinnitus to settle down in a few hours to few days to few weeks–depending on how loud it was, how long you stayed and how often you have done this.
Cordially,
Neil
I have done several self experiments and it has been determined that if my RIGHT ear hears a frequency ranging from 170 Hz – 450 Hz then I hear a loud rapid thumping in my LEFT ear. I can wear headphones with only the right side playing and still it only happens when my right ear hears that frequency range and only affects my left ear. How is this even possible? Are the audio paths mixing in my head or something? Very odd. I get no pain, just rapid fluttering.
Hi Cameron:
That’s a new on on me. I don’t know what is going on in your case, but I can speculate. You have various kinds of nerves. Some have a very specific job and others are more broadly tuned. Thus a signal can travel different ways and when that happens, interesting things occur. It almost seems that the sound signals travel up to your brain and then your brain generates a different command to go down to your other ear.
It’s curious, but I have no real answers for you at this point.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, I have a very similar problem to you, Cameron Armstrong. I have searched and searched, seen my doctor and specialist to try to figure out these strange symptoms and no one has an answer.
If I touch the left side of my face close to my ear, or on the lower ear like the ‘tragus’ area, my RIGHT ear thumps and flutters. Very similar to your symptoms.
If when im in bed I lay on my left side I cant sleep because my RIGHT ear goes crazy when my left ear is on the pillow. At night if I turn in my sleep it wakes me up.
Hi Neil.
I have this vibrating feeling in my left ear, and it has been going on for months, and has gotten worse, and it’s active 24 hours a day. Can this be the tensor tympani muscle vibrating?
I also have a high pitched sound in my ear/head, which also is active all the time. A soft humming sound has also occured in both ears.
Struggling a bit, since I have been to 3 different ENT doctors without getting any help.
2 of the doctors said that my eardrum was enlarged, and that I shouldnt do the Valsalva maneuver. But my ear feels stuffed/clogged, but I’m not doing the Valsalva at all anymore.
What could be wrong? And is there any help?
Hi Sue:
It’s a good possibility that you have TTTS. Do you fit the profile of people that have TTTS according to my article? If you do, then that is a strong indication you likely have it.
The high-pitched sound and the humming sound are various forms of tinnitus. When did your tinnitus come on? At the same time as the fluttering began? Or totally separate?
If this is all tied together, then you should find a tinnitus and hyperacusis center that can treat you for those two conditions plus misophonia. Such centers are typically run by audiologists, not medical doctors.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for your reply Neil.
Yes, I can relate to many of the symptoms you describe.
The fluttering started first, and then the other sounds came after. The high pitched sound is getting worse, and is sometimes very loud.
As I live in Norway we don’t have many specialists in this field, but I will try to do what I can to seek help.
Went to ENT again yesterday, explained my symptoms, and he doesn’t believe that I have TTTS….
Feeling frustrated, and don’t know what to do next… The sounds are very loud and making me depressed and anxious.
What kind of treatment is recommended?
Hi Sue:
What does your ENT think it is if it isn’t TTTS?
What reasons did he give for thinking it was not TTTS?
Cordially,
Neil
He is just saying it’s tinnitus, and that I have to live with it and find alternative treatment, like ear plugs with sound, cognitive treatment therapy and etc.
Hello,
I do have a lot of pain in my left ear with a sharp burning sensation in my nose. No clicking sounds though. Could it still be TTS?
It started after my tinnitus suddenly spiked and became much louder than before. Is it because i´m freaking out about it.
kind regards dirk
Hi Dirk:
First off, what caused your tinnitus to spike? That could give a clue. And yes, tinnitus can get much louder as you become anxious and obsess over your tinnitus.
I’m wondering if your top two vertebrae are out of alignment. That could explain your symptoms. It sure wouldn’t hurt to go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor–not a regular chiropractor–and be checked out that your C1 and C2 are in proper alignment.
To find one near you, go to http://www.upcspine.com/ and click on the “Practitioners” button to find one in your state and local area.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi!
I’m Writing from Sweden hopefully my English will be understandable.
I’ve suffered from tinnitus for about ten years but I came over it and only heard it when I was tired and after some concerts. So it really hasn’t been a problem.
I’m working with children and approximately a month ago a child screamed so awfully loud so after that I heard a strange and painful sound in my left ear when people were talking and to my big disappointment when I was listening to Music. To not be able to listen Music kills me it’s the love of my life.
I went to the doctor and he couldn’t see anything in my ear and after a hearing test he said that my hearing although I’m 42 was as good as a 16 year-old.
I’m eating medication to help my muscles relax but it really hasn’t helped yet. But there’s a condition where I can still listen to Music not hearing the painful sounds in my ear and that’s when I had a couple of beers.
Maybe it makes my muscles relax but it must be other ways.!
I have decided that I’m going to defeat this problem not really sure how though!
A Life without Music are unbearable just as the sounds in my hear that comes with some sounds often high sound but also lower sounds as I mentioned when people talking coughing and so on..
What can I do?
Kind regards/Rickard
Hi Rickard:
Your English is fine. I understand what you are saying and that’s the important thing.
What has happened is that your ears have suffered from acoustic trauma or acoustic shock. When this happens, you typically don’t have hearing loss from the episode, but you do end up with distorted hearing, tinnitus and hyperacusis (where normal sounds are now too loud).
What you need to do now is protect your ears from loud sounds and give your ears time to heal. (Wearing foam ear protectors at appropriate times would be a good choice–just do not overdo this and wear them when you don’t need to or you will have even worse problems.)
It’s going to take time–likely a number of months. It won’t happen overnight. And if you happen to be around another loud sound, it could set you back. But continue, and eventually your ears should return to normal.
Think of a bruise. Your ears were badly bruised. Now, if you expose your ears to loud sounds, its like whacking the bruise again (and again) and it will take much longer to heal up.
When listening to your music, keep the volume down–no louder than you hear people talking.
In your case, a couple of beers relaxes you and lets you enjoy your music without all the distortion. Just don’t get carried away and turn the volume up. Remember the bruise analogy and keep the volume down as your ears slowly heal.
Cordially,
Neil
I have had a problem where my ear thumps after I speak, and at loud sounds, for the past 4 months.
I had this problem on the past about 10 years ago. The ENT checked my ears, said I was fine and I left crying because I had no answers. It finally went away on its own. And now its back again.
I am confused about the fact that you say this is an anxiety based condition yet it is caused by exposure to loud sounds. Did I understand that correctly? I don’t recall having been exposed to any really loud noise at any time around when either of these ear issue cycles started.
If I have no history of loud noise exposure does that mean it is not TTTS? I am so frustrated. I do have a history of anxiety but it is actually well under control, or so I thought. I do have TMJ problems that are flared up now too, but now I don’t know if that is all related to my ear and/or which symptoms came first..the ear thumping or the TMJ issues. I just really hate this problem and the fact that I feel like there is nothing I can do about it.
I have talked to a few other people online who have this issue and there is definite frustration at the lack of info out there. I am going to write a blog post about this next month and would love to link back to this if you don’t mind.
Hi Lisa:
Forget about the noise trauma for the moment. Think back to before this thumping began 4 months ago. What happened in your life between 4 and 5 months ago that was different that might have caused this problem? Did you have extra tension, stress, anxiety? Did you have any head trauma–bump your head or jar your head in any way? Anything else that might have happened back then?
What you have doesn’t sound exactly like TTTS. I’m sure your TMJ is involved, but it may not be the primary problem. I’m thinking that probably your underlying problem may be related to the top two vertebrae in your neck. Thus, if I were in your shoes, and since no one else seems to be able to help you, I’d go to a special kind of chiropractor called an upper cervical spine chiropractor and have him check that your C1 and C2 vertebrae are in proper alignment. That would be the starting point. After than, your face and jaw may need some treatments too, probably from someone skilled in myofascial massage and trigger point release techniques.
To find an upper cervical specialist go to http://www.upcspine.com/ , then click on “Practitioners” in the menu bar and choose North America and then your state (I’m assuming you are in the USA) and you’ll see a list of the upper cervical spine chiropractors in your state. Each chiropractor has a 10 – 15 line listing. Near the bottom of each listing is a line called “Upper Cervical Approach/Technique Used:” and following that is one of about 10 different techniques. I’m particularly partial to the “Blair Method” so if you can find a Blair chiropractor within reasonable driving distance (a couple hundred miles) that would be my first choice. But the others are also good. Pick someone that has 15 or 20 years experience, not a “newly-minted” upper cervical specialist, as they don’t have the depth of experience your situation may require.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for the reply. The problem is still there. Some times worse than others. I will definitely look into your cervical specialist suggestion.
I have had no head trauma to speak of or head bumps. The only things that I am thinking that could be affecting my spine are
1. that I sit in bed and type a LOT because I am a blogger.
2. I sleep on my side on a not so great pillow.
3. And I work out a lot with weights and I have added some chest squeezes where I bring weights in with my arms to work my chest muscles and that does put a lot of strain on my neck when I do those but I have never had any pain or anything associated with it.
I will say that the thumping is always worse after my work out days and I never really noticed that before, but it is.
Rather than being a spinal problem, could this be caused by muscles straining do you think? I hate to not work out because its a pretty big part of my life but maybe I could just decrease my weight and see if it helps? It really is so frustrating. Thank you a thousand times for the help and suggestions.
Hi Lisa:
If the thumping is in unison with your heartbeat, then you have pulsatile tinnitus. This can be caused by increased blood flow due to your workout–and the increased blood flow becomes turbulent and you hear this as a thumping in time to your heartbeat. Is this what you are experiencing?
Cordially,
Neil
No, definitely not my heartbeat. It is just a single thump – what feels like my eardrum contracting –
that is in one or both ears after I stop talking or after silverware tings together or something like that.
Thanks for the answer Dr. Bauman!
Besides all of this I also experience pain in and aorund my ears my neck,face and pain and tensions in my jaw after the child’s scream.
I was a victim of stress before this happened but after that my stresssyndrome has increased.
I’m planning to get massage for my neck and face and meet a dentist who claims that tinnitus are a result of tensions in the jaw. Maybe that will make it better.
The saddest thing is that I avoid to go to the gym after this I’m afraid that I will get worse
the tragical thing about this is that I increase in weight!
The eardoctor I went to said that it probably won’t go away but your answer gives me hope so thanks again for your encouraging answer.
Best wishes/Rickard
Hi Rickard:
With all the pain and tension in your head and jaw and neck, not to mention your anxiety, I strongly suggest you read the latest (seventh) edition of my book on tinnitus (get the eBook version so you can get it instantly and don’t have to pay the high postage costs). Specifically, read chapters 9 and 20 on the causes of and treatments for somatosensory tinnitus.
You can get this book at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/.
You’d also do well to read Chapter 8 on anxiety, etc., and then the various treatments starting with Chapter 14.
Some dentists can help your tinnitus is you have TMJ problems, but I’m not sure your dentist will be successful as I think much more than just your TMJ is involved with your tinnitus.
Personally, I’d look for an upper cervical spine chiropractor as the first line of attack and get you upper neck properly aligned, then branch out to other health care professionals as needed (facial massage, etc.). It’s all explained in my book, “Take Control of Your Tinnitus. This book has only been out about 3 weeks so it is right up to date with all the latest on effective tinnitus treatments.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello!
Now my problem is a Little more than two months old but i’m still hoping to get rid of it. I’ve tried chiropractorcare twice the latest time this morning,The chiropractor told me if it didn’t gave good results during the weekend I should try massage instead otherwise than carry on with his service. But hopefully the “bruise” in my ear will go away sooner or later.
Trying to not to Think too much about it but I get reminded of it when I hear loud voices and people coughing unfortunenately. But I won’t give up!
I’ll buy your book next salary!
Kind regards/Rickard
Dear Dr Neil
For the past 5 years i have been suffering from a noise in both my left & right ear (more dominant in the left) , which sounds similar to someone tapping on a microphone i guess. It feels kind of like my muscles stretching. This occurrence happens usually when hearing sounds over 90dB. But can also happen when i yawn, or when i wake up tired in the morning. Unfortunately this is affecting my career as i am an Audio Engineer. It has prevented me form working in high SPL situations, such as live sound gig. I sometimes find that when i’m drinking alcohol, i don’t notice it as much. I hope you can help, thank you.
Hi Nathan:
You shouldn’t be listening to any sounds over 90 dB–period. At that level you are asking for ear problems down the road. Once the sound levels go above 80 to 85 dB you should be wearing ear protectors. That may be all that it takes to get rid of this sensation you have. If you invest in good musicians ear protectors, they will not affect the balance of sound, so everything should sound the correct, just softer. That’s the first thing I’d do.
For some people alcohol relaxes them, and this can relax the muscles that are involved in making your “tapping” sensation, but you don’t want to be drinking when you are working.
Cordially,
Neil
This page is very interesting but somewhere, someone spoke about cut the tendon or the muscle. Someone has tried the surgery ?? Is it a good idea ?
Thanks a lot 🙂
Hi JB:
Typically you would not want to cut the tendon/muscle as you would be left with permanent side effects that would result from this muscle not doing its job. Better to focus on getting it to work properly again. That could involve getting your anxiety under control for example.
If you cut this tendon/muscle you’d have at least three side effects to consider. Your startle reflex would no longer work so sudden loud sounds would be even louder and cause more damage to your hearing. Second, you’d hear your voice much louder than normally. Third, you’d hear yourself really chomping on the groceries.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr Neil
Every time I burp or yawn I get a fluttering sound in my right ear, sometimes Flonase helps but I will have a quiet day and then it goes fluttering at a 100 miles per hour I have been to a lot of ENTs with no help Any suggestions
Hi Larry:
Since your ENTs are at a loss, it’s time to try something different. My best guess is that either your TMJ is “out” or your C1 and C2 vertebrae are out, or both.
Personally, I’d start with an upper cervical spine chiropractor and see if that does the trick. If not, once you know you are in proper alignment, then I’d see a dentist that specializes in TMJ problems.
See my replies to Sarah (January 5, 2016), and Lisa (April 21, 2016) for more information on these specialized kinds of chiropractors and how to find a good one.
Cordially,
Neil
I am a 53 year old woman who has had TTTS for about 10 years. I used to get it only when I lay on my left side but now I get it whatever position I sleep in. It starts about 10 minutes after I lie down and the only way to stop it is to walk about for a few minutes. If I wake during the night, my ear is often still thumping. I have become quite good at ignoring it but, as it usually starts just as I am drifting off to sleep, it can be quite a nuisance. I also get it sometimes when I laugh, but only for a few moments. I have spinal curvature and see a chiropractor about once a month. I take Rizatriptan for migraine. On occasion I have taken Naproxen for sciatica and an elbow injury. I have noticed that whenever I take Naproxen, the TTTS gets worse: louder and more persistent. I am so lucky that I don’t generally get TTTS during the day (except if my head falls back slightly if I take a nap on a chair) but, nonetheless, would be grateful for any advice on how to deal with the nights.
Hi Siobhan:
What initially caused your TTTS 10 years ago? Were you in a car accident previous to this? Or what?
I’m not surprised that you have worse TTTS when you take Naproxen. Others have had somewhat similar experiences. Naproxen also causes increased tinnitus.
To me it is obvious that your neck is “out” and thus your TTTS gets worse when you have it in certain positions–laying back in a chair, or laying in bed. Since your current chiropractor hasn’t been able to fix this problem, I think you might want to go to a special kind of chiropractor.
I suggest you investigate treatment from a special kind of chiropractor that specializes in the upper cervical spine (UCS). These people are able to work wonders for certain ailments and they are very gentle–not the bone cracker kind. They focus mostly on your top two vertebra (C1 (Atlas) & C2 (Axis). If this joint is “off” then you could have some of the symptoms you are experiencing such as the ear problems and headaches.
You can find a chiropractor specializing in UCS by going to the following URL and entering your location. You can also read about the things these special chiropractors can do for you at this same website. Here is the URL.
http://www.upcspine.com/
Choose the “Practitioners” link along the top to find the one closest to you.
There is a lot of good information on UCS chiropractic on this page also.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr. Neal,
What is the difference between tinnitus and aural fullness as symptoms of tensor tympani syndrome from acoustic shock/incident; OR tinnitus and aural fullness from hearing loss and no tensor tympani syndrome? And how to know if the hearing loss or tinnitus is permanent in either case.
Thank you in advance,
Walt
Hi Walter:
Tinnitus from TTTS is typically a clicking or fluttering sound. Tinnitus from a sensorineural hearing loss is typically a ringing or hissing kind of sound. The aural fullness may feel the same in both cases. With TTTS the aural fullness may be due to Eustachian tube dysfunction. In a sudden sensorineural hearing loss, the PERCEPTION of aural fullness may be just that–a psychological feeling of fullness because your brain no longer hears like it used to. Probably a better description would be to say your ears feel blocked rather than aural fullness, as that would be conceptually more accurate.
Sensorineural hearing loss is almost always permanent as it typically results from dead hair cells. Hearing loss from TTTS would normally be temporary as the hearing loss is caused by the tensor tympani muscle pulling the ear drum and hammer apart so the sound signals passed is reduced.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for your advice. I don’t know why it started, but I did wonder if it was my husband’s extremely loud snoring that I put up with for years before he got a mouthguard to fix the problem. The TTTS is in the ear that was most exposed to the snoring! I haven’t noticed it reacting to other noises though so perhaps not. I agree it is most likely to be my scoliosis – I’ll work on this aspect.
I did go to my GP once but he had never heard of it and suggested it was the sound of my heartbeat. I just let it go at that point as it was obvious he didn’t understand what I was describing. I had my hearing tested and the TTTS ear is poorer than the other, but not significantly so.
Thanks again – it’s taken me ages to find this advice. Most sites seem to suggest it’s a stress/anxiety issue which seems to be code for “we don’t know what causes it”. It’s nice to finally hear some good ideas.
Dr Neil
could TTTS be triggered by “barotrauma”? I accidentially ripped earbuds (in-ear headphones) out of my ears a couple of times. Have been more careful since and this fluttering feeling is fading away. Fluttering happens in the mornings and when air pressure starts dropping (before rain or storms).
Thank you for your answer.
Hi Josh:
I suppose it’s possible, but I can’t remember hearing about it before. It seems that this is what is happening in your case. Interesting.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor. I have had fairly intense ear sensitivity for the past 2 to 3 years and this has really affected my wellbeing, especially as I am an educator in Music Production. The one symptom that I cant get past is the onset of very quick ear fatigue when listening to music at quiet to moderate levels. It seems to be frequency sensitivity that affects me this way as opposed to volume as I don’t play music loud at all anymore as I cant cope with it anyway. Any advice would be really appreciated. Kind Regards
Mac
Hi Mac:
Are you saying you have hyperacusis where you perceive sounds as much louder than normal? This often happens when you expose your ears to excessively loud sounds.
I’m not clear what you mean by ear fatigue? Exactly what happens when this happens?
I don’t have enough information about your situation to understand exactly what your problem is–and that is the first step to trying to find a solution. Tell me more.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor,
After being in an extremely loud club a few months ago, I developed tinnitus & hyperacusis. A bad ear infection followed which was resolved by antibiotics. A subsequent MRI scan showed some presence of Mastoiditis which also seems to have been resolved with antibiotics.
Tinnitus has reduced to a minimum now, but hyperacusis still present and in last month or two, I’ve developed TTTS, in both ears(self diagnosed but all the symptoms point to it) but particularly in the left (also the worst ear for the hyperacusis and where my tinnitus was stronger).
My audiologist checked my ears for hearing levels(normal for my age, 44) and dB threshold which was up around 85 or 90 dB before it became unbearably loud for me.
I have not yet been referred to an ENT but if no improvement soon in my TTTS in particular (and to a lesser extent my hyperacusis), I will arrange one, although I’m aware they may not be able to help.
I know that time can heal these situations for some people but for others they can persist for many years, even indefinitely.
That said, I lead a reasonably healthy lifestyle, diet is healthy in general, and I go to the gym a couple of times a week and take recommended supplements(Vit B12, D, Magnesium, Zinc, etc) so I’m hoping there will be some improvements in coming weeks and months.
I’m considering also acqupuncture as I know that relaxation of the muscles and tendons in head, neck, upper back, shoulders, may help.
If there’s any other advice you could impart, I would really appreciate it, thanks for all the good advice and work you’re doing
Best Regards
Barry
Hi Barry:
You definitely have hyperacusis as your uncomfortable loudness level is only 85 to 90 dB. It should be more like 120 dB.
In Chapter 9 of the 7th edition of my book on tinnitus, I talk about Somatosensory conditions that can cause tinnitus and probably also your TTTS. In Chapter 20 I give a number of treatments for somatosensory conditions. I’d pay particular attention to the section beginning on page 193 to the end of the chapter. I think you will find that your TTTS may also be be amenable to such treatments. You can get this book at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/.
Although specifically talking about tinnitus, these two chapters should give you good insight (by reading between the lines) into effective ways to deal with your TTTS from a physical point of view. Acupuncture may help also. I briefly mention it in these two chapters as well.
Cordially,
Neil
Many thanks for your reply Dr.
I think it might have been 90 to 95 dB, now that I think back, but regardless, it’s still Hyperacusis.
Thanks, I will purchase your book now and focus on the chapters you mentioned.
I was with an ENT consultant last week, who acknowledged my Hyperacusis but wasn’t convinced I had TTTS and the tests don’t indicate a eustachian tube problem either.
That said, i definitely have a blocked/full ear sensation in recent months, especially on that left side, with a clicking/crackling at times, which would indicate ETD or perhaps ‘glue ear’, so I’m a little bit unsure of what this second (and probably more debilliating) condition is of the full ear sensation and clicking and how best to try and improve it (aside from obviously a clean diet, exercise, etc)
Thanks for your help
Regards
Barry
The ticking in my left ear began when I was pregnant12 years ago. At first it seemed like seasonal allergies and was alleviated by decongestant. Fast forward to present: ticking, ache, eyes twitch when ear ticks and go out of focus, ache in neck, dizziness, balance issues. I’m SO miserable. Tried an omission diet & removed gluten/wheat products. Seemed to help, but did not eradicate.
I was told by a neurologist, after MRI, that I was dehydrated. No. I drink lots of water.
Any recommendations? I’m desperate for help.
Hi T:
Based on what you have described, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if your upper neck is “out”. That alone can cause most of your symptoms. Since nothing else has worked for you, I suggest you go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and have him make sure your upper neck and jaw are all in proper alignment.
If you don’t know how to find such chiropractors, you may have a lot of difficulty finding one. So here’s how to find one. Go to http://www.upcspine.com/ and click on the Practitioners button, then from the drop down menu choose your area of the world (North America) and then click on your state or province. This will give you a list of these special chiropractors.
Once you are all in proper alignment, see how many of these symptoms go away. If any are left, you can work on them with other methods.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi again Dr.
Have some updates since my last comments in March.
I still struggle with constant buzzing in mye head, a loud sound, and vibration in my left ear.
I was sent to an ear surgeon and he took tests, and the conclusion was that the stapedius muscle is vibrating.
Mine is vibrating constantly, so I really want this to go away. I am now on a waiting list for surgery, to cut the muscle.
Is this recommended? Any side affects?
Regards
Sue
Hello Sue,
I’m from Poland. It is extremely interesting for me that you’ve mentioned about cutting the muscle. This is an unknown problem here, in Poland. Could you write a bit more about this surgery. Where do they practise it and how long do you wait for it… any information is important for me. Best, Ann
Hi Anna:
I’d only do the surgery as a last resort. It cannot be undone and you will be left with the consequences of the surgery for the rest of your life. I’d try all other options first.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Anna.
I am actually doing this surgery in 2 weeks, 3 May.
It is a last resort, I have had it for over 1 year now, and it’s getting worse.
I am doing it in Oslo, Norway, and have waited for 1 year now.
Hi Sue,
Did you get the surgery? Did it help? Do you have any side effects now like your own voice being much louder?
Any info helps! Thanks!
Hi.
I cut the stapedius muscle last year, but it wasnt this muscle that vibrated.
I still have a vibrating sensation in my ear, and am on a waiting list to cut the tensor tympani muscle, hopefully soon…
Hi Sue. Did you get the tensor tympani cut?
Hi
I wonder if you can help.
60+ years old. I work from home – at the computer most of time. No loud noises or injury of any type that have brought this on.
In March of this year I had tinnitus for the first time – an engine running in my head 24/7 – that lasted a week and
was followed by several weeks of high pitch noise and also fullness in my ears.
Audiologist said ‘tinnitus’ and no need for a ‘loss of hearing’ hearing aid. High frequency loss but nothing that was out of range to suggest a scan needed. (That was May)
I have used an Otovent baloon for a few weeks and that seemed to be fixing the ‘fullness’ in the ears. My head full of cotton wool.
Last week I had a couple of days where I had no tinnitus and no fullness. Then, I went to bed and woke up with fullness back and engine running along with high pitch noise. I hadn’t focused on it before but the engine running seems to be from my left ear.
ie. If I cup my hand over my left ear it is like a train is coming (it was like that from the start and the audiologist said nothing to worry about – just different from one ear to the other. Also – if I move my finger within my left ear it makes like an echo sound.
I also have a feeling of a band of pressure around my head and at times sounds that I hear are like they are coming through a broken speaker.
I have suffered with acute anxiety in my life and this has caused a fair amount of stress. More so as I don’t know what it is.
My GP offered steroids for the fullness but there seemed to be more side-effects than benefits so haven’t taken it.
As a side note – (having read about the spine etc) probably not related at all but I often notice on the left side of my back an area that feels like it is tingling and needs scratching – but nothing there. Below the scapula.
Any suggestions as to what my hearing/ear problem might be and what to do about it? Any natural product solution very welcome and what is the best way forward.
I forgot to mention, very occasionally (every few months) over the past couple of years I have noticed a sharp pain in my left ear – usually happening just once.
a few days ago I also notice a tingling sensation on the left hand side of my neck muscle lasted a few seconds and then gone.
Also – if I move my head quickly sideways or nod I get a whooshing sound in my right ear.
Hi Neil:
What happened back in February and March before your tinnitus started? Were you taking any medications? Did you have any cold or virus? Any loud noise incidents? How about stress–was it way up then? If you search, you can often find a likely cause for your tinnitus starting.
From the various symptoms you list, I’m almost certain that your back/neck is not in proper alignment. So that is the first thing I’d do–go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and get a clean bill of health from him. Then see how many of your symptoms go away. You may find your tinnitus goes away or is greatly reduced. Just the fact that you get a whooshing sound in your right ear when you turn your head tells me your neck (vertebrae and/or muscles) is out of alignment.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi there I got this problem when I talk my ears feel like they closing and this pain and I eventually stop talking or talk nonsense and I can’t concentrate when someone is talking to me I end up not lstening
Hi,
This was so informative. I started having fluttering in my ears from being assaulted during a 3-day period. My head was the target. Afterwards, in the ER I was given an CT scan and all that was told to me was that my neck wasn’t broken. My ears started fluttering a day later. I had major whiplash symptoms, but no doctor care as I had to leave the state to be safe. This was when I was 21 and I’m 46 now and my ears still flutter. It’s not all the time, but I can’t find a trigger or how to stop it. I’ve gone to a few different ENT’s and they look at me like I have 2 heads when I describe the flutter. I do know that my ears don’t function right due sever ear infections as a child into adulthood and I have hearing loss, E-tube dysfunction due to the same infections. I have looked for 20 some odd years for an answer. I’m so happy I found it. This fluttering drives me nuts, and is a huge trigger from the assaults. From what I’ve read above, a chiropractor could help, but I went to one for over a year. He too had no clue what the fluttering was. I was told by a physical therapist that it was called “Boxer’s Ears” and a simple bit of glue in the ear done by an ENT would take care of it. Is this something that can be so easily fixed? If so, why do ENTs have no clue what it is? Thanks!
Hi Shelly:
I don’t think your physical therapist has a clue. I’ve never heard of such a treatment either. It wouldn’t be as easy as that to fix as the muscle is behind your eardrum so there would be surgery involved.
Since you had major whiplash after that incident, likely your C1 and C2 vertebrae are out of proper alignment. What I’d do is go to an upper cervical chiropractor–NOT a conventional one–preferably one that uses the Blair method and have him check out your neck, etc. This may be all that it takes.
The chiropractor doesn’t have to understand what the fluttering is, all he needs to do is take the pressure off the 7th and 8th cranial nerves by properly aligning C1 and C2, and see whether that allows the fluttering to go away.
Cordially,
Neil
I’ve been having issues with my right ear for a few months (fluid coming out). Was treated with ear drops, oral antibiotics but it seemed to get worse. Developed plugged up ears & painful sinus. Started worrying about it like crazy. Two weeks ago I started having a loud vibrating noise in the ear, a dull pain in my ear & felt slightly off balance. Saw a ENT who said my hearing was fine – no perforations in my ear drum, no problem with my eustachian tubes
I told him about the loud vibrating type noise in my ear, pain/pressurein ear. He mentioned it could be related to anxiety or TMJ.
So I was a bit relieved that nothing was functionally wrong but then started worrying again that I would have to live with this the rest of my life. It was a very scary. I started researching on line & found the information on TTTS which sounded like something I might have. I had also started to fear loud noises as everything seemed so loud. I decided to mask the noise with music so that I wouldn’t be thinking about it all the time. Walking outside also helped to distract. Yesterday it seemed like the noise was decreasing in volume.
Today I woke up with much less noise but I still had ear pain/fullness. Then I thought more about what the ENT said. I definitely had anxiety but I didn’t think I had TMJ problems. But maybe I was tense in my jaw? I decided to relax. I put a warm Gelpak over my eyes, laid down & listened to some music for a couple of hours. I felt the muscles in my face & jaw relax. It was amazing. I didn’t realize I was that tense! Now the loud noise & pain in my ear is gone. Its almost too good to be true. I think it was all caused by stress. It’s just amazing that emotions can have such an effect. So I thought I’d share my story in case it might help someone else.
Hi Karen:
I’m glad you shared your story and especially your successful ending. Stress and anxiety and fear can really mess up our bodies. And as you proved, you can choose to take control, get your stress and emotions under control and in the process, let your body heal itself.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr. Neil.
I have a strange clicking in my ears (I think it’s from my ears) when I speak. Others can hear it too. It’s after I talk or sometimes when I blow out air with my mouth open. Sometimes it’s from both inner ears – sometimes only one ear – sometimes both ears but not completely at the same time. There is nothing when I close my mouth and blow out air or say an uhm sound with my mouth closed. It also goes away when I stand upside down but when I stand up again I can almost sense it in my head and then it clicks again. I can also make it go away momentarily if I blow out air while holding my nose (like you would do when flying). My doctors can’t tell me what it is. I have been to two doctors so far. Could it be TTTS – or something completely different? What is strange is that other people can hear it and I can record to sound easily. I have googled everywhere – haven’t heard of anything like it!
Hope you can help me!
Kind regards,
Sandra from Denmark
Hi Sandra:
It’s not strange that people can hear this clicking if you have TTTS since it is a mechanical sound–a muscle contracting producing a sound. I really think you have TTTS or something similar. It could also be related to something not quite in balance in the muscles/bones of your face, jaw or upper neck. A chiropractor or physiotherapist might be able to help you there.
Cordially,
Neil
What a fantastic article you wrote . Now I understand all thats going on with me . 100%I have TTTS AND TMJ .
Thank you ever so much .
I have posted this easy to understand article on for those who suffer and do not know why. 👌
Hi Daren:
Glad you liked this article. Note: You do NOT have permission to post this (or any of my) articles anywhere without permission. They are all copyrighted. Thus, you need to take this post down now. What you DO have permission to do with any of my articles is post the LINK to the article so people can come to the Center’s website and read it. That is always ok and I encourage that.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Neil
Sorry that’s what I was mentioned to say it’s a shared post to facebook and and link to my sister . My two sisters and my mum suffers the same symptoms.no law broken 😊
Thanks and again Neil .
I am not sure if I am right with my request. Unfortunately, my English is not so good. Especially when it comes to the description of medical procedures it becomes difficult. I try to describe my symptoms.
I guess it is a interplay between jaw and inner ear. It begins with a feeling as if my jaw muscles contract briefly. Then a feeling as if something in the inner ear twitches. Like a machine gun. Just for a few seconds. Something like spasms. However, this process is repeated occasionally. Several times a day. It was in the past once a week it is now daily. No sound. No pain. It’s like someone is knocking dully in the inner ear. I also hear without problems. If this continues, I do not know how I can continue to master my life. In particular there is probably no way to cure these symptoms – hopeless. For me to the diagnosis but also important already: is this also to be classified as TTTS?
Hi Arminius:
I sounds like you have TTTS and maybe tight facial muscles. Having a chiropractor or physiotherapist or massage therapist check you out for tight muscles in your head neck and shoulders would be a good idea.
Another possibility is that you are low in magnesium. I just replied to Stephanie that a magnesium deficiency might be another possibility. See the link I give in my reply to her for some ideas on whether that might be a factor in your case and what you can do about it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil, I commented way back in October 2015. I just wanted to say my TTS has now stopped. I started taking Magnesium and I take daily supplements. After about 5 weeks of being on Magnesium the thumps stopped. I may occasionally get the odd flutter but it never comes to anything. Do you think Magnesium would help TTS ? would love to know your thoughts 🙂
Hi Stephanie:
A magnesium deficiency can cause muscle twitching, etc. And isn’t this exactly what TTTS is? Thus it seems reasonable that if you are low on magnesium, you could have TTTS as a result–although I haven’t seen this written about. Of course you could have a bunch of other muscle problems elsewhere in your body too.
I came across this quote, “The #1 Cause of Muscle Spasms (and Muscle Cramps) is Magnesium Deficiency.”
So what kind of muscle involuntary action can magnesium deficiency cause? Among others, Here are three:
Painful muscle spasms
Facial tics
Eye twitches
Since facial tics and eye twitches are somewhat similar to TTTS, it isn’t much of a stretch of imagination to suppose that maybe some people deficient in magnesium could also experience twitches in their ear muscles (what we call TTTS).
The proof of the pudding so to speak is that you started taking magnesium and your thumping went away.
A lot of people are deficient in magnesium–particularly if their diets are not the best. Here is an article that outlines 10 things that can result in magnesium deficiency. I think it is well worth the read and then act on this information appropriately. The URL is http://www.ancient-minerals.com/magnesium-deficiency/need-more/.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil, I am wondering if you could let me know what you think is going on with me and if this could be Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome (TTTS). Since October 1st I have noticed tinnitus in my right ear that whistles and is only really heard in quiet environments.
I noticed since two days for the first time this has happend and is continuing that when I am exposed to a loud noise my T ear is reacting to it by making a high pitched beeping sound and that only lasts as long as the loud noise lasts. The moment the environmental noise stops that beeping/ringing I am hearing nearly at the same level also stops. It’s like they are working together somehow. I had heard that loud noise aggravates Tinnitus but I always understood there was a lingering affect to this that could last for a while. I don’t hear that noise when it is quiet. It is like a Tinnitus that I can only when i’m in a loud place. It is very odd to me and I can’t find any information about it online.
Hi Kerry:
I think that what you are experiencing goes by the colloquial name of “reactive tinnitus” where your tinnitus reacts to typically louder sounds by getting louder itself. When the reacting sound goes away, your tinnitus returns to its former level. This happens to some people, but certainly not to the majority of the people that have tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for your reply. I would like your opinion on something else. My g.p. Prescribed Clonozepam to help me with some anxiety I was having. .5mg. I was prescribed to take a half a pill twice a day or One full pill twice a day max. only when required. I took my first dose half a pill .5mg before bed on the night of November 28th and the morning of the 29th. That evening a full pill before bed. And this dosage pattern was repeated until December 1st when that morning I took a half pill. I stopped when an audioIigist warned me it was ototoxic. I didn’t feel or notice it was making my Tinnitus any worse. I even felt like it was improving things a bit but that could have been placebo.
This Reactive Tinnitus didn’t start until the morning of December 13th. My anxiety was returning so I took a half pill before heading to work and when I got to work I realized I had this new Tinnitus reaction. I hadn’t taken the drug in two nearly two weeks. Do you think it’s possible this half dosage did me in in as quick as 30 mins. I would also like to note I’m experiencing negative ear pressure Eustachian tube dysfunction in both ears. Even though I’m only experiencing problems in my right ear with Tinnitus.
Hi! Ive been having fluttering in my ears with loud noises for a year now, I feel it more when the room is quiet. I don’t notice it if I’m out and about because the white noise drowns it out. I’m 28 years old, female and have a very loud 2 year old girl who loves to scream! Haha! I have had neck issues in the past, and I went to the ENT months ago and he told me I had ETD also. I am also normally an anxious person. I’ve been reading this thread and now I am thinking of seeing a chiropractor to see if my C1 and C2 are okay. Is this what you recommend? Thanks for reading and taking your time to answer.
Hi Karen:
It’s a good first step to be sure your C1 and C2 are in proper alignment. Once you know that your neck isn’t your problem, then look at other things. For example, get your anxiety under control through natural means (not drugs). And if your problem is related to noise trauma (your daughter screaming close to your ears), that may also be a factor.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Mr. Baumann
Sorry for my English. I hope i can write my question in the right way. I hop Sir, that you will answer.
My name ist Housai Halim. I am 32 years old, female and I am writing to you from Germany as I am very desperate. In search of help, I already have contacted many doctors and hospitals in Germany. I have symptoms that doctors cannot explain. Therefore I hope and I pray that you receive my message and can help me.
I’ve come across your website and find TTTS. Can TTTS and Patolous Eustichian Tube habe the Same Symptoms?
I have been diagnosed with an open tube (PET) on both ears. However, the right side is more open than the left side.
I deeply hope that you can answer me one important question. I do not have autophonie. My symptoms on the right ear are very strange.
When I speak loudly, my right ear flutters at the end of the syllable.
When I hear a noise or when other people talk louder, then I experience a fluttering sensation in my ear. However, this happens only once and always at the end of the spoken word or at the end of the noise. For example, when I put a glas on the table, then I experience the fluttering. When I do not speak, nothing happens. Everything is calm. That means that the fluttering is dependent on noises. Even when I lightly touch my ear with a hand, the fluttering happens. I do not know if the fluttering is the result of my eardrum or is it a muscle that reacts to sudden loud sounds. When it is calm, nothing happens. The fluttering happens only once at the end of a noise.
Now my question is:
Have you ever heard of these symptoms with a PET? I cannot find these symptoms anywhere. The doctors here in Germany haven’t heard of these symptoms in relation to the PET.
The problems that I have described above significantly impact my quality of life. I do not use the phone anymore. I do not even like to talk anymore.
I deeply hope that you will send me answers if you have them.
I am looking forward to hearing from you. You will assuage my fears of uncertainty by kindly answering my question.
Kind regards,
Hi Housai:
TTTS and patulous Eustachian tubes can have the same CAUSE–and that is that your 5th cranial (trigeminal) nerve is pinched between your C1 and C2 vertebrae (the top two vertebrae in your neck).
When the trigeminal nerve is pinched to whatever extent, it doesn’t work properly and PET and or TTTS can be one result.
I haven’t heard of your specific symptoms–the fluttering at just the end of words, etc. But I believe the cause is the same as for any other TTTS or PET. You just have a somewhat different manifestation of these conditions.
The solution, if I am correct in my thinking, is to go to a special kind of chiropractor that deals with the upper cervical spine and have him check that your C1 (atlas) and C2 (axis) vertebrae are in proper alignment. Once he does that, see if your symptoms fade away.
Note that you may have to go several times, because the adjustments may not hold to begin with. It takes time for the ligaments and muscles to get used to being in proper alignment and hold your vertebrae properly again.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Biene,
I am not a doctor, but I have posted earlier in this comment section about my experience with TTTS. Your symptoms are EXACTLY the same as mine. Here’s hoping we both find some relief.
I hope so.
Maby we have luck in 2017.
Your symptoms are the same as mine! The fluttering always happens AFTER a sound for a half a second. I also have head pressure and dizziness along side this.
Did you find a solution to your problem?
Did you find a solution? Been happening for about a year now with no results on my end!
Thank you so much for the reply.
I have been at so many Osteopath. Dont know how it calls in english.
Do you know some adress here in Germany for special kind of chiropractor?
That would be so nice.
King regards
Hi Biene:
We call them osteopaths as well.
In the one place I check, there is only one upper cervical chiropractor listed for Germany and that is in Cologne. Here is the link to the listing.
http://www.upcspine.com/prac3.asp?rid=3&r=Europe&sid=161&s=Cologne&cid=3&c=GERMANY
Here is the link to all of these upper cervical spine chiropractors in Europe. Maybe one of them will be relatively close to you, but there are not very many as you can see.
http://www.upcspine.com/prac2.asp?rid=3
Cordially,
Neil
I just want to say, thank you so much for this article and guiding me in the right direction. I went to a NUCCA and I in fact have issues with my c1 and c2 and it’s putting pressure on my nerves and muscles causing the tensor tympani and ETD issues. I just started my treatment today and I look forward to getting better. Thank you again!!
I get TTTS whenever I’m feeling anxious or the slightest bit nervous about something. It doesn’t help that I have mild social anxiety disorder either so my ears feel like they are swooshing frequently and it causes even more stress because it is so annoying! It also effects my eyes A LOT. Reading everyone else’ comments I don’t see anything about the eyes. What happens is my jaw will clench up and my ears will vibrate inside really loud and my eyes have the sensation of looking into the sun where they feel like they are vibrating too.. can anyone help me with this or relate?
Hi Alison:
You need to learn how to effectively deal with your stress so you can “hang loose” and thus not cause your TTTS to act up.
I’ve not heard about eyes getting involved, but I can see how it can happen. Certain secondary nerves can get over-stimulated and send signals to parts of your brain that multitask. These multitasking neurons can sometimes send signals to the wrong place and activate your eyes as well as your ears.
The real solution is to learn how to remain calm.
Cordially,
Neil
I am also having the same thing with my eyes when I have ear spasms.. my eyes feel like they have the same sensation as my ears. can that be normal? I have a lot of stress and anxiety so I’m sure that’s not helping either
Hi Kayla:
Having TTTS isn’t “normal” in the first place, nor is having both ears and eyes responding to TTTS, but I’m not surprised. Our bodies are highly interlinked so when something goes bad, it can affect seemingly-unrelated areas/organs. For example, the vestubulo-ocular reflex links our ears and eyes together to help us have a stable horizon so we can see clearly. If this link “breaks” we end up with bouncing vision (oscillopsia).
I don’t know how/why your eyes and ears react similarly to TTTS, but the good news is that if you get your TTTS under control, both conditions should clear up at the same time. You probbly don’t need a different treatment for you eyes than for your ears.
Cordially,
Neil
What do you mean your ears vibrate really loud? Like the sound ears make when yawning?
Dr Neil
when some one talk a little loud (any loud sound) it feel very bad on my left ear and this become worst when sound increase.After sometime my mind become tired, my eyes start closing and i just want to sleep. I feel no energy in myself.
Hi S:
When you say it “feels bad” what are you meaning–that the sound is much too loud? or you have a fluttering sensation? or what?
How is this related to your energy level?
I need more information to figure out what is going on with you.
Cordially,
Neil
Sir
Thank you so much for your reply.
Sir by ‘feels bad’ i mean the sound is too much loud like someone is shouting in my head. When i close my left ear by putting finger or something in it, i feel better. I don’t know how is this related to my energy level, may be its not because of my ear.
Sir is it having any relation with sinus because I often have sinus.
last year i visited a doctor he told me that there is no issue with your ear, what you have to do is close your nose by hand and blow it. But it doesn’t work.
(sorry for bad English)
Hi doctor, I’m jonatan from barcelona, (I feel my bad English) I write after having gone through several doctors and none know what I have, investigating with this page and I’ll expose my case to see if I can orientate a little.
I have been dedicated to music for more than 25 years, I have worked with high volumes for many years but I have audition control and I have lost nothing of hearing in audiometries, I have more than perfect, for more than 4 or 5 years That the volumes control them enough and were not so high, it will be a question of 3 years that I began to notice pain in my right ear when being in my recording studio, and when I quieted, the doctors did not see me at all, at Short time began with mild tinnitus in my right ear that is the one that hurts, the left not, although the left ear also started tinnitus soon.
I’ve been more or less about 2 years I have earache that lasts for days if I hear something a little strong, I have a pain and burning for several days, I have to cover with a plug the ear so I do not hear sound and I relax a lot, but it hurts a lot, after 3 or 4 days or 5 it gets better, but it comes back if I’m at a family dinner and people talk loud and things like that, I have my ears saturated or tired, I have several Symptoms of TTTS but not all, I do not vibrate the muscle, but if other symptoms, I do not know exactly if it is this syndrome.
Logically it has been 7 or 8 months since I stopped working with the music and some time I tried to do something I can not even put the volume at 40 dbs, the ear does not hurt at that time of 40 dbs, it is after a while If you fatigue and it is after a while that starts to hurt for days. . The doctors told me it could be ATM but I put a discharge ferrule on the teeth and it did not work ….. I hope you can orient me, thank you very much for everything.
Hi Jonatan:
Your English is much better than my Spanish. I can basically understand you. I’m uncertain what you mean about “ATM”.
Anyway, from what you say here, I’m almost certain that you have hyperacusis, not TTTS or other things proposed by your doctors.
When you expose your ears to loud music over the years, or to a sudden loud sound, you can damage your ears without losing any apparent hearing. That is why you hearing tests normal or even “perfect”. Your brain has basically turned up its internal volume so you hear many sounds as too loud and they now hurt. Hyperacusis can also give you ear pain like you have. And almost always it also results in tinnitus. And if you are anxious or “high strung” this just makes it worse.
You need to find someone who knows how to properly treat hyperacusis using either Tinnitus Retraining Therapy or its close cousin, Hyperacusis Retraining Therapy. Over here that would be an audiologist that runs and tinnitus and hyperacusis clinic. I don’t know what you have there.
This is a slow process and will take a year and up to 3 years–depending how bad your hyperacusis is and how faithfully you work on the appropriate treatment. This is something that you have to work at yourself–not something a doctor does for you.
If you need more help, let me know.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you very much for the prompt reply, I am very grateful indeed.
I was in an audiologist and they did a test of hyperacusis with sounds to different volumes to see if they bothered to me and it said to me that it could not be hiperacusia, alomejor is another type of hiperacusia?
Do not comment on my previous exposure that I also have dizziness from time to time as another symptom.
I have not started any hyperacusis therapy since I am afraid of further damaging my right ear and that it will become a chronic earache always.
Thanks again, doctor. Very kind.
Hi again,
I wrote you before in different thread (http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/will-extreme-sensitivity-to-sound-ever-go-away/#comment-16960 )
I think that also TTTS occurs in my case. Many sounds with certain frequency vibrates in my ear canal so I think it’s tensor tympani, and it’s tolerance has decreased a lot. This is not painful but it is very annoying thing to handle, even if I click the lights on, it vibrates rapidly. On the other hand, I can listen music normally (I am so glad about that) and ear doesn’t react at all.
Within last 2 weeks, I have had a balance problems, dizziness. This is also very annoying and I hope this will go away.
Ear pain still exists. Some days are better then others. Sometimes I feel pain almost all day long and a couple of days a row. But after that pain is not so constantly and I don’t feel pain almost at all. And then after a couple of days, pain is again more noticeable. I have not found causal connection at all. Occasionally there’s pain also in my jaws.
I started to eat vitamins (B, C, zink, Magnesium, D) to ensure that my body has enough building blocks for healing process. I also go acupuncture once a two weeks. . I read books which encourages to think positive and helps to understand and accept the situation. I also do much sports and go winter swimming. I think doing sports decrease pain and also increases my mental wellness. I also bought your tinnitus book to find more information. I am still sad about my situation, but thankfully I have enjoyed many things in my life despite all symptoms..
I have meeting with ear doctor in two weeks. My question for you, is that is there anything I can do with TTTS, to reduce symptoms? When I go to doctor, do you have any recommendations for therapies etc, maybe I can discuss about them with my doctor. Also do you think there is some other methodies to reduce symptoms.
Thank you for your answer.
I get this from anxiety caused from PTSD. It’s pretty annoying. I mentioned it to my doctor before finding this article and he looked at me like I was crazy.. which caused more fluttering. Thanks for the info Neil.
Well after 35 years of these symptoms, I finally know what is wrong!!! Apparently it is TTTS. I have gone to multiple doctors and specialists over the years. They just look at you like you are crazy. Received no help and no one could ever tell me what I had. So glad I found this post. I am 52 and have been having these symptoms since I was 17. My symptoms come and go. I may go 4 months and have no symptoms, then have symptoms constantly again, for several days. I have never been able to figure out what may precipitate it, but did notice that sometimes loud noises would trigger it, but not always.
hi Dr Neil
I was in touch with you back in October 2015 as I had pulsing fluttering ears. I would get this 2-3 times per week. After taking magnesium oxide they eventually stopped. I stupidly stopped taking my magnesium supplements for a couple of weeks and my thumps are back. Been back for three weeks. I am back on my magnesium oxide taking my usual 250mg per day but my thumps have still not cleared up. This problem is getting me so low. I am giving it another month and going back to ENT. Would you know what the best magnesium is to take to reduce muscle spasms ? thinking about increasing my dosage or changing to a different type of magnesium. any advice would be great and thanks again for all your help. knowing there is other people out there dealing with this makes me feel less alone. thank you x
Hi Stephanie:
Probably the best magnesium to take is magnesium threonate or magnesium glycinate. These have the greatest bioavailability of magnesium. You might want to alternate between the two–taking one form on day and the other form the next day, etc.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil, I am taking two doses of 150 mg of magnesium glycinate. one in the morning and another at night… I shall let you know if this clears up. Thanks for all your help it is so kind of you to reply. I am from the uk but if I did live in the states I would of loved to get treated by you as all the doctors I have encountered over here do not know of my symptoms. Very frustrating ! Speak soon. Stephanie
So I have been having this problem for a month now whenever I yawn or swallow it goes off for about 20-30 sec sometimes 10 sec gets really bad when I lay down it only happens most the time when I swallow and it’s random i have had tmj for 6-7 years and been getting very sharp pain on my left side where my left ear is only having this problem my right ear is fine got the thumping to stop on my right ear by taking Flonase but my left ear still does a weird fluttering thumping sound when I swallow and I can make it flutter when I move my jaw
Forgot to add I do have hearing loss in my left ear so am I stuck with this permanently? And had tinnitus in left ear for 3 years and doesn’t bother me anymore this other thing just came out of nowhere
H Eric:
You’re only “stuck” with TTTS if you do nothing about it. If I were in your shoes, I’d go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and have him check that my C1 and C2 vertebrae are in proper alignment. Then ‘d have hm check that my TMJ is also aligned properly.
From what you say, that may be all there is to it to make it go away. Remember that TTTS also typically has an emotional component so you need to learn to relax and hang loose so your muscles don’t all tighten up again.
Cordially,
Neil
And another thing wouldn’t I have pain in my spine? I do alittle but not much but I do bend my back allot cause of video games 🙂 and i heard tmj is pretty hard to fix my gp just said allot of people have cracking in there jaw and just kicks me out the door like there is nothing he can do. About time to get a new gp
Thanks so much u pretty much made my day but the bad part is will a chiropractor take Medicare or would I have to pay out money?
Hi Eric:
You don’t have to have pain in your spine to have your C1 and C2 vertebrae out. You can, but not all the time.
I think the reason TMJ is so hard to fix is that the underlying problem is your upper spine being out–and if they don’t get that adjusted properly, your TMJ won’t stay in place. And medical doctors don’t seem to know anything about this.
Each state has different coverage for chiropractors, so you’d have to see what Medicare in your state covers. Contact an upper cervical spine chiropractor and see if they accept Medicare.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Mr. Bauman,
There is a Group in Facebook called Tensor Tympani Support Group. It would be so nice if you would be a member.
Mrs. Westcott is also in the Group.
Hi Biene:
It might be nice, but I don’t have time to fool around on Facebook. I have enough trouble keeping up with all the emails and comments I get now. If anyone wants help, they can post their questions here and I’ll try to answer them.
Cordially,
Neil
Hey Neil my gp told me that I gotta do my research and to try to find a older chiropractor cause the younger ones tend to make things worser or mess up more stuff and he told me to go to the dentist to get a $600 mouth guard but I don’t have that kinda money so he told me to just get am$15 mouth guard from Walgreens or something but he put me on muscle relaxers so I guess I’ll be stuck with this for along time
Hi Eric:
I suggested you go to a special kind of chiropractor, not a conventional chiropractor. I suggested you see an upper cervical spine chiropractor. Their treatments are entirely different from a conventional chiropractor. But I do agree with your doctor that you want someone with experience, just like you want to find a medical doctor with experience.
As I see it, getting a mouth guard and/or taking muscle relaxants is like fixing the cracks in the walls of your house when the cause of your walls cracking is a crumbling foundation. The approach you are taking means you’ll be fixing the walls forever. It is ever so much better to fix the foundation so the walls won’t crack anymore. The upper cervical chiropractor is the guy that fixes the foundation. That’s where I’d start if I were you.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor,
I have had an ear problem, which has remained undiagnosed for the past 7 years or so. It first began with me listening to music over headphones for hours, which I stopped with the onset of the condition. I would have crackling noise in the left ear whenever I would hear a loud noise, and sometimes a sense of pressure in the ears. There is always slight pain in my left ear.
Many of the doctors that I have met over the years have not been able to offer any conclusive diagnoses to this problem. I once has a doctor who actually said that the small muscles, which are discussed by you in this article, are probably malfunctioning. He in fact said, he could actually remove the one in the left ear. Given the fact that every doctor I had met had his own diagnoses, it was hard for me to consider such as treatment.
Though I am convinced that I have TTTS, I am not sure if I have hyperacusis/tinnitus. I do have slight ringing sound in my ears, but I am not sure if I perceive any daily sounds to be amplified. Though, the fluttering of these ear muscles always happens when I hear metal clinking loudly, or sudden knocking or closing of doors.
Could you offer any advice?
Hi Rajat:
You seem to have very mild tinnitus. But if you cannot tell whether you have hyperacusis or not, you probably don’t. If you have it you KNOW it.
So the most likely thing that is left is TTTS–the fluttering feeling. And it is consistent with TTTS that you hear them with louder but staccato sounds.
I’m not an expect on TTTS. My best advice is to follow what I said in that article.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi RAJAT YADAV,
When you hear the clinging of metal caught my eye and that is exactly how I get those flutters in my ear. I have all your symptoms in my left ear as well. Its been going on for about 4 years and I was diagnosed by my ENT with Stapedius Muscle Myoclonus and or Myoclonus of the tensor tympani muscle. She wasnt sure which but that was the conclusion she came up with. I also have 3 bulging discs in my cervial spine that they say look mild but my neck hurts terribly and not sure if its related. I also have no clue how I got the bulging discs.
Have you had any new diagnosis?
Is it possible to have Tinnitus caused by TMJ then develop TTTS as a result?
Hi Troy:
TMJ can result in tinnitus. That’s known. If you have TMJ, your TM joint is “out” and that means that other things are also “out” and all that could result in TTTS. Don’t forget, TTTS typically also has an emotional component.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor,
I’ve been suffering from high-pitched tinnitus for over 6 years. It all started with blocked right ear after night sleep what added extra stress to difficult period at the time. The blockage and muffled hearing lasted for couple days and it turned into middle pitch sound (for another couple days). This was terrible time with no sleep and serious depression – I cant really tell which condition was resulting from which.
I decided to fight and eventually the sound moved into my head and turned into very high pitched one but less bothering. It’s not staying in one place but relocates from one side to another favouring the place right behind an auricle. It eventually stopped annoying me and I started living as normal.
However, in Jan 2017 another dose of stress has been served at work and I started noticing that after yawning the muscle within my left ear contracts number of times in few series lasting up in total up to 30 min. Also, sometimes after louder sound or even after saying something, I notice clickling in the same ear.
I am now wondering how to approach this problem as I am considering couple factors here: new blood pressure medication (losartan potassium) introduced at that time, spine problems or stress/anxiety/depression.
Is the anything specific about the fact that the muscle contracts only after yawning?
Hi Pete:
I’m not an expert on TTTS, but I’ll try to answer you question. As you know, TTTS is largely an “emotional” condition brought on by things such as stress, anxiety, depression, etc. that results in certain physical manifestations–the pulsating or clicking of the tensor tympani muscle.
When you yawn, you momentarily open your Eustachian tubes and let the pressure equalize between your middle ear and the outside air pressure. If the air pressure is higher in your middle ear your eardrum is slightly pushed out, and if the air pressure is lower in your middle ear your eardrum is slightly sucked in.
When you yawn and the air pressure equalizes your eardrum “snaps” to normal, and perhaps that tiny movement sets off the tensor tympani pulsating since one end is attached to the hammer bone that is attached to the eardrum. This is just my guess.
Try all the three factors you suggested and see which one(s) have the most effect on your TTTS. Maybe it is a bit of all three, although my money is on spinal problems and/or stress/anxiety/depression.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil,
I hope you are well.
I message you back in 2015 as I had fluttering and thumping noises in my ear. This is not brought on by sound and just starts on its own. I get the thumps and flutters every 10-15 seconds for 8-10 hours straight and then it stops for a few days only to return again. It drives me insane. I can hear and feel my ear go into complete spasm. I took magnesium back in 2015 and after a few weeks my pulses stopped. I was free from the noises for over a year. I stupidly stopped taking magnesium and my symptoms returned after a few weeks.
I am literally just back from my ENT appointment which I waited quite some time for. The ENT I seen dismissed TTTS … He told me its an involuntary muscle and its impossible for the muscle to contract/spasm on its own. He said it only reacts to noise. When there is no noise the muscle does nothing. He did admit he has never heard of this condition and has kindly referred me to an ear specialist. I am back on my magnesium supplements but no improvement yet. As per your advice I am also seeing a chiropractor (no upper spine specialists in Scotland ) I am in the UK and very lucky to have free health care. But I did pay to see a top ENT surgeon whilst waiting for my appointment. This surgeon said it sounded like myoclonus of the tensor tympani muscle. He advised he would do the surgery but only if the symptoms did not pass after time. He told me to try amitriptyline as this can help myoclonus. He wrote a letter to the ENT I was seeing today. But the ENT today completely disagreed with him. I am getting so frustrated. The specialist I paid to see also works under our health care system so I may ask to be referred back to him if this ear specialist cannot help. I just wanted to know your medical opinion with regards to this muscle. You seem to be the only doctor that is aware of this issue. Is the ENT I seen today correct ? Is it impossible for the tensor tympani muscle to go into spasm on its own ? My heart tells me this doctor is wrong but I would like to hear your opinion on this. Thank you so much. Kind Regards
Stephanie
My symptoms are very similar. Did anything help?
Dear Sir,
Your article has really helped me understand where the ever-present discomforts surrounding my ears come from. I’ve had tinnitus for years, but both the tinnitus and burning sensation in the ears have become worse over the last 6 months.
I first got tinnitus when I was 16 or 17 after a night in a club where the music volume was way to high. This was no real problem, since I could barely hear the ringing at night in bed, let alone during the day.
The problem worsened over the years (I’m 22 now), mainly because of the use of headphones, again on a too loud volume. The tinnitus has increased to a level that is not yet unbearable, but it keeps me from concentrating and it also influences the way I think.
So I do know the causes of my tinnitus, being the over-extended use of headphones on too high a volume: when you use them for too long without a significant break, you will develop listeners fatigue. At one point, this fatigue did not go away anymore. In a way it feels like I’m wearing headphones all the time: my ears hurt and feel warm.
It is very difficult to describe, but let me put it this way: apart from hearing the tinnitus as a so called ‘television-peep’, I now also feel it in my ears, as a wince or stinging pain.
I was particularly interested in the last couple of paragraphs of your article, where you mention a different cause for TTTS: TMJ-related problems. I have had jaw-locks for a long time, and also a lot of tension surrounding the muscles of both my jaws and neck. The tinnitus definetely gets worse when I actively rotate my jaws (mostly the right one).
I have an appointment scheduled with a physiotherapist to combat these tensions, in the hope that most of my problems – mainly the tinnitus and burning sensation – will go away.
Kind regards,
Mike.
Hello Dr. Bauman!
Thank you so much for sharing this information. It is very helpful.
I first noticed tinnitus (a high pitch steady ring) when I was about 8 years old. I remember seeing a doctor and chiropractor about it. It may have been the result of a bad fall. I’ve had it since then but it was quite mild (both ears).
About 1 month ago it turned from mild to severe (still both ears). I cannot determine the cause. Possibilities include mild TMJ, whiplash from being rear-ended about 10 years ago, a sinus infection from 2 months ago or maybe I hurt myself while working out and didn’t recognize it. I don’t listen to loud music and work in an office so loud noise is not an issue.
The now severe tinnitus has come with a feeling of fullness and hyperacusis. Sometimes this fullness is in one ear or the other. Anxiety has not helped this, although I think I am doing better with this lately.
I saw an audiologist 2 days ago and they said my hearing is fine. I have seen a gp 4 times in the last month and they say everything looks ok but did give me a pretty heavy antibiotic in case it was lingering effects of the sinus infection. I don’t believe this to be the case.
I have been to a chiropractor several times but not the one you suggest. I will definitely look for a upper cervical chiropractor. The closest Blair trained one is a 5 hour drive away. Is there anything else I should pursue? I’m willing to try anything as this is almost unbearable.
Hi Dave:
You might want to check with the Blair chiropractic association to see if there might be one closer to you–it’s worth a try–before you drive 5 hours away.
I’d also study my latest book on tinnitus for situations that apply to you–you may see yourself in one of those situations and see the appropriate treatment for it. You can get this book at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/.
I wish the latest edition of my book on hyperacusis was completed–but alas, it’s not. I still have to collect more information on the latest research on hyperacusis because there are effective treatments for it too–some outside the box so they have not hit the mainstream yet–but they work according to my preliminary investigations.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
I have downloaded your book on Tinnitus and have started to read it. So far it is a very good read.
There is a chiropractor about 2 hours from me that has Knee Chest Upper Cervical training. There is also one the same distance away that says he is NUCCA trained but he isn’t listed on the NUCCA website. Which would you try first?
Thanks,
Dave
Hi Dave:
That’s a tough question for me to answer as I haven’t had any experience with knee-chest chiropractors. I’m a little leery of going to NUCCA chiropractors as the machine the use causes very loud bone conduction “thumps” and that could be bad for your ears. This was may impression.
The knee-chest method sounds like they just use their hands (and knees) and thus should not have the loud bone conduction “thumps”. So this would be a good thing. I think I’d give him a try first.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks Neil,
I did go to the knee-chest chiropractor and have had a very positive experience. He was very thorough with his testing (X-ray, thermography) and physical examination. I have now had 2 adjustments to my C2 and believe I am experiencing benefits to my tinnitus and ear plugging. The adjustments involve a thermography to assess to situation. I then kneel, put my chest on a bench and turn my face to the side. He then finds my C2 and pushes down on it to move it into place. He then runs another thermography to determine the effect. I then rest in a zero gravity chair for 15 minutes to let it set. I have experienced blurry vision for about an hour after each adjustment but then I’m fine.
I am scheduled to see him several more times (lots of driving for me) but if it helps, I will do it in a heartbeat. A huge thanks for pointing me in this direction!
Sir before a week ago i used to songs on my headphone at high volume ..now i a m continously getting problems ..like full ness and dull achne in ear .fluttering sound in my ear …moderate hyperacusis …balancing problem..trembling and weakness of foot……what is the medication should i use………it is almost 12 days continous
Hi Vaskor:
I’m not a medical doctor, so don’t recommend or prescribe drugs of any kind. What I would suggest, is that you avoid exposing your ears to loud sounds in the future so you don’t cause further damage.
In the meantime, you need to give your ears a rest from louder sounds and hope that your symptoms will come down in the next two or three months.
It would be a good idea to go to a specialist (perhaps the neurologist) and have your symptoms checked out because just listening to loud sounds should not cause balance problems, trembling problems and weakness in your foot. I think something else is going on.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi there,
hoping you may be able to advise.
i have spoken with you before regarding ototoxicty.
i am suffering now for 4.5 months from a vestibular disorder, i am awaiting tests for a diagnosis. suspected vestibular neuritus.
tonight for the first time ever i have experienced the weirdest sensation. i dont get tonnitus nor have i expeirenced from what i can tell – hearing loss. However do have clicking in my ears which ha got worse on my affected side over the last two days. So tonight whilst eating my tea and being around my very loud brothers voice( i seem sensititve so some noise now) i experienced the weirdest sensation – what felt like a butterfly/moth in my ear fluttering around. like a constant drum. it eventually wore off within about 30 second but i have never experienced anything like it. Any ideas? anything to be worried about?
Thank you
Hi Milly:
The butterfly fluttering sensation you experienced was probably a short spasm of the tensor tympani muscle pulling on your eardrum. Since it only happened the once and then went away, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Cordially,
Neil
I am thankful to have finally found some information that sounds helpful. My ears have felt full for over two years with popping. I have been to a GP and ENT, had MRI, PT massage work and myofascia work and seen a chiropractor. Nothing has helped.
I have been curious if it was residual from a virus I had or from a pilates accident I had on a reformer. A spring loaded bar hit me in the jaw. It was a significant impact!! ln the past two years I developed a frozen shoulder which I’ve wondered if it was related to my pilates incident. , My neck hurts… it prevents me from riding a bike and sometimes I even feel like it hurts more after a walk.
My ear fullness has been constant. Ear pain comes and goes. I have also been anxious which I have found so interesting in reading on this blog. I have been on Cymbolta the last 9 months. I recently tried to go off of it. However, as I was reducing my dose, my ears got worse and my neck pain got worse, I would sometimes also get dizzy and nausus. My face and neck also often feel really hot and I break out into a sweat. I thought it was a hot flashes but realized the rest of me isn’t hot. I went back to my full dose of Cymbolta for the time being….because it has diminished my pain and discomfort. However I want to go off it and I want to get to the root of the problem!
From reading here, it seems finding the right chiropractor is key. How do I evaluate who will be a good fit for me? Do you have any specific questions or treatments that I should ask about that will help me know I am working with the right person for my problems?
Thank you so much, this has given me hope I may be able to get back to activities I love and hope that I may not have to deal with this annoying ear fullness and popping forever!
Hi Linda:
From what you say, I doubt your problems are from a virus. My money is on the whack to the jaw you got. among other things, a whack on your job may have not sure C1 and C2 vertebrae out of proper alignment. The result could be Eustachian tube dysfunction causing the popping and feeling of fullness in your ears.
Duloxetine (Cymbalta) is quite ototoxic to your ears. It causes hearing loss, hyperacusis, tinnitus, ataxia (staggering gait), dizziness, vertigo and ear pain in good numbers of people.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if your ear pain is the result of taking this drug.
Your anxiety over all that is happening to you is certainly not helping. You need to curb your anxiety without resorting to taking jokes, which seem to be compounding your problems, not helping them.
If I were you, I would dump the Cymbalta. However, you need to taper off it, not just quit it “cold turkey”. If you need something to help you sleep, may I suggest the herbal Valarian.
When you tried to taper off the Cymbalta and your symptoms got worse, how fast for you tapering? Obviously, you need to taper far slower than what you were trying.
You need to go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor, not a conventional one. There are a number of kinds of upper cervical spine chiropractor’s. In my opinion, the best are the ones that use the Blair method. Another good one would be those that use the knee-chest method. I tried the NUCCA method, and don’t particularly recommend it as I think it has the potential to damage hearing.
If you persevere, I think you will be rewarded with good health again.
Cordially,
Neil
I wonder if you can advise.
I have had tinnitus’ and occasional fullness in the ear for about 18 months (never before). I have been to hearing specialist but they don’t think anything untoward with my hearing for my age (I am 62).
The ‘tinnitus’ started with an ‘engine running’ in my head which lasted a week and the high pitch tinnitus which has come and gone ever since (the engine running has returned once before and went away after a few days but has now returned for a week.)
I think I had blocked eustacian tubes as I couldn’t at first ‘pop’ my ears but with the help of Otovent balloons the ear popping and fullness seemed to ease.
My tinnitus I think stems from my left ear as when I put my hand over my left ear I can ‘hear’ a hum far more prominently than my right ear.
Also, If I put the tip of my finger in my left ear and ‘op’ it out – it sounds like the noise when you put your finger in and out of a long tube. I am not sure how else to explain it.
I ‘think’ that the engine noise is an ‘amplified’ versuion of this hum – although the engine noise (like having my ear next to the central heating boiler cupboard.)
Any suggestions as to what the problem could be and how to resolve it? (I think it could be TTTS)
I do spend a lot of the day sitting at the computer – working from home. Wit the engine running I do feel a ‘tension’ type headache but not an awful pounding headache.
ps.. I forgot to mention that every few weeks/months I get a sharp pain in my left ear – a bit like a needle… lasts a second or so…
and also when I have the engine ‘hum’ my hearing is also distorted/echo/muffled..
Many Thanks Neil
Hi Neil:
The engine hum you hear is one of the many different tinnitus sounds. What you explain doesn’t sound like TTTS at all. It sounds exactly like it is–tinnitus.
Where did it come from? Who knows at this point. It could be from exposing your ears to loud sounds at one time, or it could be associated with hearing loss, probably in the high frequencies–given your age. It could be the result of taking one of the more that 550 different drugs that can result in tinnitus. It could be from any ear condition you have. And on and on it goes.
If you can remember when it started, what was different back then. Did you start a new medication or were around loud noise, etc. Often, thinking back, you can put your finger on what may likely be the cause. It could be as simple as being depressed or stressed.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil, I probably have an unusual question. I had a Carotid Artery Dissection on my right side. It was spontaneous,I don’t recall a trauma. I was very lucky to come away with few issues. I have had migraine’s occuring more recently, along with dizziness and fluttering of my right ear to loud noises. My GP has diagnosed BPVS but I think I have TTTS.
What I’m wondering is, the nerves you say could be pinched by the C2-C3 vertebrae, does the nerve go anywhere near the carotid artery in the neck? I know my right carotid artery is swollen out and the optic nerve is pressed on causing my eye pain, could it also somehow cause TTTS? I just think right sided CAD and right sided TTTS is too much of a coincidence not to be connected but I need to joun the dots. Thank you.
Hi Anne:
I get lots of unusual questions.
I’m assuming you mean BPPV (benign paroxysmal positional vertigo), not BPVS (whatever that is). Since you do not mention having vertigo, I don’t think you have BPPV. The dizziness and especially the fluttering sound more like TTTS.
The fifth cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve) runs (enervates) your facial pain sensors as well as your tensor tympani muscle and your Eustachian tube. And since your trigeminal nerve can be pinched and thus not work properly if your C1 and C2 vertebrae are out of proper alignment, that could account for a number of your symptoms.
So, everything may be caused by one factor, or more likely, several related factors–giving you these various symptoms.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil.
I am going insane. 6 months ago I had grommets inserted in both my ears. My right felt constantly blocked. Went back to my ENT 5 weeks later with no improvement whatsoever. My right ear has severe hearing loss and have unfamiliar voice sounds in that ear. She decided to remove the grommet in the right ear. The eardrum has completely healed and yet still no improvement at all.
It feels as if there is pressure in the ear and have vibrations at times. If I block the left ear and listen to people their voices don’t sound like their voices. It is very awkward when I sit among people who are talking, I loose most of the conversation.
I find relief if I sit in a quiet room with no sounds around me.
This is making me crazy.
I seeked a second opinion with another ENT. After a number of tests and audiologist reports his findings were that I have inner ear hearing loss in both ears, slightly worse in the right.
His findings are that I have tension in the tensor tympani muscle.
Whereto from here and what am I to do. I am going insane. Please help me
Hi Debbie:
When you originally went to the doctor 6 months ago, did she do a comprehensive audiological evaluation?
Did the results show you had any hearing loss? Any conductive loss? Any sensorineural loss? Was your tympanogram normal, or did it show a problem in your middle ear?
You’d want to know all this information before you consider grommets in your ears.
What did your recent audiological evaluation show? Any conductive loss or just sensorineural hearing loss? Was your tympanogram normal or not?
If your ears felt blocked, it could be one of two conditions. First, it could be that your middle ear or your Eustachian tube is filled with gunk and thus your ears truly are blocked. the result is that you have some degree of conductive hearing loss.
Second, it could be a psychological feeling of being blocked. in this case, when you get a sudden degree of hearing loss your ear feels blocked because the normal amount of sound is not reaching your brain. Therefore, your brain reasons that your ear must be blocked or else it would be hearing more wouldn’t it?
Unfortunately, when you say your ears feel blocked, doctors always think of the first case and don’t think of the second case. I think this is what happened in your case since the doctor put grommets in your ears– supposedly to let the gunk out so you ears would become unblocked. The fact that it never worked shows that you ears physically weren’t blocked.
This would’ve shown up on the tympanogram and in the complete audiological evaluation. that is why I wanted to know the answers to all my questions. It helps you zoom in on whether you’re looking at a conductive loss and clogged years or physical problems with your middle ears, or whether were talking about your inner ears and a sensorineural hearing loss.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil
6 months ago I began to notice a roaring/ rumbling in my ear. The first few days were like a fullness in the left ear. Like I was on a plane. That went away and I was left with the noise.
I feel like I can feel it was well (if that makes sense)
I became very worried and this took over my life. I feel like I haven’t been myself for 6 months now.
I had an MRI (sent by the ENT doctor) results on the ear were clear but a small benign cyst (0.5cm) was found “deep in my brain”. I was told not to worry about it and it was completely unrelated to my ear problem. You can imagine what this has done to my worrying…
The rumbling/ roaring is louder than ever and doesn’t seem to be calming down.
I can live with some noise in my ear but the volume and sensation is really testing.
If the MRI was clear can you think of what this could be. Should I be so worried about it?
Thanks
Rich
Hi Rich:
What happened about six months ago that might have caused the ringing roaring rumbling sounds that you are now hearing?
When you hear lower-frequency sounds, often you also get the sensation that you are actually feeling them. I’ve experienced this numerous times myself. so have numbers of other people with whom I’ve been in contact.
This is nothing to worry about. It’s just one of the many manifestations of tinnitus that many people experience.
What I think has happened in your case, is that you have obsessed over these sounds/feelings and that just makes things worse. The more you worry about it, the worse it becomes. That is why it is now louder and more intrusive.
In order to get your tinnitus under control, you need to cease looking at it as a threat to your well-being. As long as you see your tinnitus as a threat to your well-being, it will continue to rule your life.
you need to learn the tinnitus is not a threat to your well-being, and that you can control it. You need to learn to treat it as an unimportant environmental background sound, just like the sound your fridge makes.
No one sits on the edge of their chair obsessing over the sounds the fridge makes. It is just there–a meaningless background sound. The result? You just ignore it and it fades into the background so that often you are not even aware your fridge is on.
For example, if I asked you if your fridge is running right now, you’d have to stop and specifically listen for that sound. That’s how your brain looks after meaningless sounds. If you treats your tinnitus as a meaningless sound, then your brain will also treat it the same as fridge noise and you will not hear it for hours on end.
You would do well to read my tinnitus book, especially Chapter 16. You can get this book at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil
Thank you very much for getting back to me.
There isn’t anything that stands out at a cause to be honest. Over the years I have always felt this ear struggles in louder environments.
In the last week the rumbling has become louder than before and sounds is now becoming distort. Peoples voices and music are out of tune and sound robotic. I am at a lost as to what this could be as the MRI came back clear.
Thanks you again for taking the time to respond.
Rich
Hi Dr. Neil and Everyone
After doing some research from google, i thought i got Tensor tympani Spasm syndrome. My right ear is twitching (it’s like eyelid twitching but in the ear) almost like 24 hours non-stop even when i sleep. Every time my right ear twitching, my left ear feels like there is a pressure and i heard like the drum sound from my inner left ear, i also can hear my own voice become louder when my right ear twitching. It’s really frustrated because I already go to some ENT and Neurologist, i did MRI for head and neck, also CT Scan but there is no result. The ENT said my hearing is normal, the neurologist said my brain is normal and they don’t know what is the caused, they just give me some meds and vitamins. I already take them all but it does not affect anything. I feel really hopeless, my spasm already 15 years for now . I don’t know what should do, what kind of doctor should i visit again T__T please give me some advise, if any of you have the same experience, please share it will help a lot for me
Hi Sue:
What was your situation 15 years ago just before the TTS began? Was it due to exposing your ears to loud sounds? Were you particularly anxious or stressed at that time? What was different?
Do you or did you have hyperacusis where some/all sounds seem too loud and thus you have an aversion to these sounds?
Do you have any problems with your jaw such as TMJ?
And finally, have you gone to an upper cervical chiropractor to make sure that your neck (C1 and C2) vertebrae are in proper alignment?
Answers to these questions should give some insight as to the cause of your TTS and thus to the correct treatment.
Cordially,
Neil
Wow. What a relief I have found this! I’m 15 years old and got a concussion from gymnastics and never recovered! I have hyperacusis and tinnitus, and I don’t know if this counts as TTS but i get muscle spasms like a lot. I do have anxiety, But i’m not as stressed since i’ve quit gymnastics. My ears always feel full and when i swallow my ears click. I get pain and a burning sensation in my ear if i go places, since i don’t go to public school i’m always at home. I do get dizzy too. Going on elevators and escalators make me feel like i’m on it forever. Is this curable? I’ve been to the chiropractor and he gave me a neck and back crack every time. Also i’ve been to like every ear doctor and my hearing is normal..?? Do i have this condition or perilmph fistula? And is this curable?
And actually my T and H started before my concussion. My ears felt like they were going to burst. I was sick on a plane on the way to a gymnastics competition and a week later went upside down on a handstand for more than 10 seconds and my ears went bursting into ringing. A few days before I noticed i started finding sounds loud…
Hi Jazmyn:
What did you do–fall on your head so it also affected your neck? I suspect that you also displaced the top two vertebrae in your neck and that is causing your balance problems and other symptoms apart from your tinnitus and hyperacusis.
What I’d do is go to a special kind of chiropractor–not a conventional one such as you likely went to. You want to see an upper cervical spine chiropractor. You can find one by going to http://www.upcspine.com/ and clicking on the “Practitioners” then choose your state and you’ll get a list of them in your state. There are maybe 10 different kinds of these upper cervical chiropractors using 10 different techniques. The technique they use is listed about 2 or 3 lines from the bottom of each listing. I’m partial to the Blair method, but these guys are few and far beteewn. Then there is the Atlas Orthogonal, the NUCCA, the Knee-Chest, Grostic, etc.
All of these guys have special training in putting your upper neck back in proper alignment. You may have to go a number of times until the adjustment “holds”. But I think if you find the right chiropractor, most of your symptoms will go away.
Now, to address your tinnitus and hyperacusis. When you get tinnitus and hyperacusis together, the most likely cause is exposing your ears to loud sounds–typically loud music. When you are around loud music you need to wear ear protectors or you’ll just make things worse in the future. And being anxious won’t help either, so you want to learn to get your anxiety under control.
Note, with ear protectors and hyperacusis–only wear them when you need to–are around sounds more than 85 to 90 dB. If you wear them when sounds are less than this, you will just make things even worse. So you have a fine line to tread–protect your ears but don’t overprotect them.
Cordially,
Neil
I was doing a double back flip on the trampoline at practice and landed right on my head, i didn’t make it all around. Hurt really bad but i shook it off and kept going for days. And yes my neck does bother me. At balance therapy last year. by the way this happened last summer, I used to have to move my head right to left and keep my eyes at the target in front of me. And everytime I do this exercise I get a strange feeling in the back of neck and lower part of my head.. Also bending down I get bad head rushes now and everytime im standing up I always get pressure in my head, ringing in my ears and little sparkles in my eyes? Could this be due to the neck issues ?
Hi Jazmyn:
I could be. If I were you, I’d go to a upper cervical chiropractor and make sure both the C1 and C2 vertebrae are in proper alignment (as well as the rest of your vertebrae). Once you know that all is properly aligned (and stay in alignment) and if you still have issues, then at least you know they are not stemming from neck problems.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
About 10 months ago, I started getting headaches that felt like that they were coming from my left ear. I also got BPPV in right ear for the first time but that was treated. Anyways, I started also getting a thumping noise in my ear and mild vertigo which is exasperated by head movement. I also now have hyperacusis. Sometimes, also, my left ear thumps 1-4 times on its own and flutters. Also, it pops randomly. I’ve had a battery of vestibular testing only noticing some 1 deg/sec nystagmus which I was told is ignorable. I also get dizzy while talking a lot. I’ve had an MRI of the brain without contrast and that was normal. I happen to have a TMJ issue (not grinding, clenching) and coincidentally, I have my C1 out of alignment. What can I do about this? The dizziness is the worst part.
Hi Sarah:
The first thing I’d do is go to an upper cervical chiropractor (not a convention one) and get your C1 and probably C2 as well aligned properly. Once you know you are properly aligned (and this alignment holds) then see what problems you have left. You may find that most of them have gone.
If not, let me know and I’ll consider the next step that makes sense at that point.
You can find upper cervical chiropractors at http://www.upcspine.com/ and then click on “Practitioners”.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
About 8 years ago I had a virus that left me with vertigo for 2 months and fullness in my ear off and on (mostly on) for roughly 4 years. Now whenever I get a cold, or I get stressed out I experience fullness of my right ear. And randomly about once or twice a year I get vertigo so bad that I’m flat on my back for a week.
I’ve discovered some essential oils that relax me and they work wonders to unplug my ears due to my stress levels. (I notice that when I stress out about my ears it makes it way worse)
Question #1: Do you think it’s the tempor tympani muscle in my middle ear?
Question #2: Will taking magnesium help as I heard it helps with muscle spasms?
Hi Bethany:
I don’t think your tensor tympani muscle is involved because you don’t mention any fluttering or similar sensation.
Many people are low in magnesium and magnesium is definitely needed for you ears to work properly. So taking magnesium supplements isn’t a bad idea, but it may not be the solution to your problem.
When you get periodic bouts of vertigo, the first thing I wonder is whether your C1 and C2 vertebrae in your neck are out of proper alignment. An upper cervical spine chiropractor can quickly tell whether this is the case or not and make the appropriate adjustments to get rid of your vertigo. That would be the first thing I’d do. To find an upper cervical chiropractor, go to http://www.upcspine.com/default.asp and click on practitioners and then your country and state.
One of the reasons why stress makes things worse is that you tighten up the muscles in your neck and that can pull things out just enough to cause problems. When you relax, thing go into place a bit thus reducing the symptoms. But they don’t go back to where they should be without chiropractic help.
Cordially,
Neil
Hey, the other day I was at my physio and she mentioned that she thinks my problems are caused by the tensor typani muscle. I came across this disorder and it matches symptoms perfectly, however my hearing and sound reflex is normal. The pressure and the fluttering is frequent during the day. However, the tightness and pressure in the side of the face with ear issues and heaviness in my head with balance problems are the severe symptoms.
I believe that anxiety after a night with a stomach bug caused this.
Am I taking the right approach with physio? and do people often make a full recovery if they don’t have Hyperacusis and normal ear function?
Hi Lili:
I think you are on the right track. You need to work on getting your anxiety under control. At the same time, getting all the tension out of your neck and face is another step in the right direction.
It sure wouldn’t hurt to go to a upper cervical chiropractor and be sure your C1 and C2 vertebrae are in proper alignment, and also your TMJ.
Your TTTS could have been the final straw from the extra stress/anxiety you had, but the underlying cause could be your neck/TMJ being out–but not enough to cause the TTTS without the extra anxiety that tightened up your muscles/tendons/etc. and this has resulted in your TTTS.
Once you get all this straightened out and your stress/anxiety under control, your TTTS should go away.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr Neil, I was sitting in my recliner on Sat Sept 16th and heard this strange clicking in my ear for the first time and it lasted a few hrs. The next day it came back and I have had it ever since. It has a few distinct sounds, like 2 steel balls clacking together every few seconds…and sometimes its a distant crackling. I cannot recreate the sound by and movement or outside stimulus. I have ear pain when the clicking gets very loud.bad. I have been to multiple ents that say it will go away…But I did find one nuerotologist that has a surgical solution by cutting the tensor and stapides muscle. He has done this surgery before with good success. I really dont want surgery but I am losing my mind with this constant clicking. thoughts?
Hi Frank:
It is true that the surgery can stop the clicking instantly, but there are also some downsides to this. Basically, by cutting the stapedius and tensor tympani muscles, these two muscles no longer can do their jobs. Two results are that sudden loud sounds are not dampened, and your voice now sounds much louder to you.
I’d exhaust all other avenues before having the surgery. Have you tried therapy for misophonia, hyperacusis and tinnitus? Those are three conditions that can bring on this condition. When you are annoyed/upset by certain sounds–especially if you have hyperacusis so they sound annoyingly loud, you can develop TTTS. So that is a good place to begin treatment. The tinnitus and hyperacusis clinic in Atlanta, GA is probably the best place to go. The Jastreboffs run it and Pawel is probably the leading expert on treating misophonia.
Cordially,
Neil
I just can’t go on anymore like this, mentally I am exhausted. Sleep is so difficult. I can never relax without the fear of this clicking starting, I rarley go one day without an episode and they can last for 2 3 days non stop. I am a strong 56 year old man that has been brought to his knee’s I have no more options, I need my lif eback. Thank you for your response!
Hi Frank:
Not knowing any more than what you have said about your condition, the first two things I’d check out is whether your upper cervical spine is in proper alignment or not. I’d go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and see what he says.
I’d also work to get your anxiety under control because anxiety is a strong factor in TTTS.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr Neil, thank you, I went to the upper cervical chiropractor, and told him all my symptoms it helped.. but I don’t think he checked the C1 and C2. In fact everytime I told him my problems he would just talk over me as if there was nothing he could do. He cracked my neck and that was it. I too as Lili, have balance problems and heaviness in my head. I find when i’m even more stressed out I get even dizzier. I get constant muscle spasms too. Thank you for all of your kind help!
I rarely get thumping in my ears too, I just don’t know what the underlying cause of all this could be or what to do about it.
Hi Jazmyn:
Are you sure you went to an upper cervical chiropractor? From what you describe, it sure doesn’t seem like you did. What kind of upper cervical chiropractor was he–Blair, Atlas-orthogonal, Knee-chest, grostic, NUCCA or???
I think the Blair “kind” are the best, but the others are good too.
Is the “thumping” in your ears in unison to your heartbeat or independent of it?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
I have had severe tinnitus for 10 months now. I felt like I was just starting to get used to it when I developed this strange fluttering sensation in my left ear. It can be intermittent with no pattern(zzzz,zzzzzzzz,zz,zzzzz…) or continuous. I believe it started around the time I had a minor cold so I thought it would go away in short order. It lasted 2 weeks and did go away for about a week. However, it came back and I fear it is here to stay.
It mostly affects me at night and makes sleeping very difficult. It is not activated by loud sounds. I do not have a history of anxiety or stress but since getting tinnitus I definitely have a lot of this. I don’t know the cause of my tinnitus and have seen a Knee Chest UC Chiropractor (based on your advice) for 8 months now. My C2 had a subluxation. When it came back the second time it was the same day as an adjustment so I don’t know if they are related. I don’t have any pain in my ears. Just this incredible annoyance. Do my symptoms sound like TTTS?
As a follow up to this post, as I had mentioned, the “buzzing” came on after an adjustment by my chiropractor. My high pitched tinnitus also got quite a bit louder. However, a few days later, I moved my neck around a bit. It cracked and I heard and felt a pop in my left ear. It has been over a week now and I have not had the buzzing since. My tinnitus is back to it’s normal level as well (bad but bearable). It does point out the distinct connection between my neck and ears and I now know for sure that the cause of my buzzing is my neck. Now if I can just figure out how to reduce my T and/or my anxiety associated with it.
Update, the buzzing is back. Not sure what to do next with this. Is TTTS the same thing as Middle Ear Myoclonus (MEM)?
Hi Dave:
Did you see Marg’s comment and my reply. That may be one solution–upper cervical chiropractic.
Middle ear myoclonus is a broader term than TTTS, but TTTS is included inside the term Middle Ear Myoclonus. TTTS only involves the tensor tympani muscle, where MEM covers all such middle ear conditions. For example, the stapedius muscle can also cause problems.
I just came across an article that pointed out that when these muscles “act up”, the tensor tympani muscle typically causes a clicking sound, whereas the stapedius muscle results in a buzzing sound. So maybe it is your stapedius muscle that is acting up.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for the explanation Neil. Yes, I saw Marg’s comment and your reply.
I have seen a UC chiropractor for 10 months now. The buzzing only started toward the end of this period. I haven’t been in for an appointment in about a couple of months now as my adjustments were starting to hold. Maybe I’ll go in again to get checked out.
For me, this may be a combination of anxiety and upper cervical.
The reason I say it is likely from anxiety as well is that it I had gone away on vacation for a week and the buzzing stopped. I was then back home and working etc for week (so total of 2 weeks without buzzing) when I woke up one night being startled by a train horn. The buzzing started within 2 minutes after this and has been there since then.
Thanks
Dave
Dr. Neil,
I recently saw my ENT who had originally diagnosed me with TMJ in Oct 2017. I had been wearing a bite splint and supposedly have a disc that is slightly displaced. However, I have been working with a PT & Chiropractor for months now and they have done wonders for me. However, I am tapering off an awful medication, gabapentin, that was prescribed by a psych dr following a horrible run in with a benzo (another family dr prescribed for 5 weeks for anxiety). Now that I am tapering off this medication, the sounds of the popping are louder! I know I have anxiety but I’m coming off this med.
My ENT did a scope of to rule out eustachian tube issues – he said I have a left deviated septum, one large eustachian tube and scar tissue from tonsil removal. He is ordering up a CT scan of my sinuses to rule out issues there (I have no sinus problems but he wants to see if there is an airpocket of sorts). Could what I am experiencing be TTTS?
Hi Lisa:
You haven’t really given enough information to determine what you problem is. You say “the sounds of the popping are louder”. What popping? When does this happen? After you yawn or swallow, or?
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your note. When I swallow, I hear popping sounds and then when I inhale after swallow both my ears pop. The sounds are very loud! I can also inhale and not miv my jaw And there’s the popping sound. Since I have gotten off the gabapentin, the sounds are more noticeable I would attribute this my mind being clear once again – not numbed by the medication. I also hear the noises when I talk too.
Hi Lisa:
Are these popping sounds you’re hearing the sound that you hear when you yawn or swallow and your Eustachian tubes momentarily open to allow equalization of air pressure. This commonly happens when you are going up or down when flying, or driving up or down a steep hill or even an elevator in a tall building.
Is this the kind of popping sounds you are experiencing, or is it something else?
Cordially,
Neil
The popping -clicking isn’t from the tubes as it happens without any movement. When I lay down and wake up in the morning I hear he pop pop pop pop. When I tense up by jaw I hear the rumbling. And then I start hearing pop pop quick quick. I am convinced that has something to do with this tensor muscle. I did go to the ENT and explained that I was having issues. He said I have a patch less fat new station two. He sent me for a sinus can. I know it’s not theirs. How do I convince him that it something else?
Hi Lisa:
Problems with the tensor tympanii muscle are typically a click, click, click sound. You also have another muscle in your middle ear–the stapedius muscle. When it goes into spasm it sounds more like a buzzing sound.
I don’t know how you can convince a doctor of anything he doesn’t want to be convinced of. Maybe you need to see a different doctor about this condition.
Cordially,
Neil
The comment below was transcribed with voice. Please note what I meant to say was I hear a pop pop and click click both with and without Hey sue. I am heading to Lansing tomorrow afternoon to meet with a tmjd dentist. I have met with her but now am ready to see what treatment options she has for me. ( I’d ahe dinds mmoving anything jaw yawning or swallowing too. Is it possible to have the ability to flex this tensor muscle and make it click? My ent said he identified possible PET and sent me fornsinis scan I am waiting these rulers. I do feel it’s something with the tensor muscle . It is almost like it’s popping randomly more and more.
Neil,
I went to Blair upper cervical chiropractor for another ear condition and C1 and C2 were subluxated. It took months of adjustments but the fluttering, thumping and pain are gone. I do notice some tugging pressure once in a while when I need to be adjusted but it is nothing like I was enduring from the start. I didn’t even realize what I had going on had a name. Several whiplash injuries in my day that most likely attributed to my ear problems.
Hi Marg:
Great. That shows that upper cervical chiropractic can indeed fix TTTS–at least in some cases. It also shows that when your C1 and C2 are “out”, it can trigger TTTS.
Thanks for letting me know your good results.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi! Greetings from Sweden.
I have a problem with my ears that makes them flutter against sertain sounds. If I lay down with my head on a pillow and my ear facing the pillow, then move my head, my ear reacts so hard and flutters, but when i lay still it’s fine. It also reacts alot against plastic bags noise and some peoples voises. It’s very hard to explain and I’ve been to a doctor but they can’t help me.
Another thing is that if I hold a finger over my right ear (like i would if i heard a loud sound), then face my left ear on the pillow then move my head back and forward the fluttering accually can dissapear after some time. It’s like the ears sync together again. It’s very frustrating, and hard to explain, but this thread is the closest to my symptom I can get, and I would love to get some answers.
Hi Christoffer:
When you have weird things happening like you explain, and since your doctor doesn’t have a clue, it’s time to think outside the box. In your case, as in so many others with somewhat similar conditions, I’d start with an upper cervical spine chiropractor and make sure that your C1 and C2 vertebrae are in proper alignment and/or if your TMJ is also in proper alignment. Once you know both are aligned properly, see if the problem disappears. If so, you know what the problem was.
If it doesn’t, it’s time to look further afield, but try the above first to eliminate any “basic” causes.
Cordially,
Neil
i have been a experiencing awful clicking/buzzing tinnitus. My ent says I also have Patulous Eustachian tubes. He said could try tubes in ears to relieve clicking popping. But I’d i have tinnitus (also have tmj) would it be beneficial to see a NeuroENT to rule out TTTS?
Hi Lee:
Since you have patulous Eustachian tubes and TMJ and clicking tinnitus, if I were you I’d go to an upper cervical chiropractor and make sure my C1 and C2 vertebrae were in proper alignment. That could account for all your symptoms. So that would be my first choice. The doctors are not looking at the root cause, just are trying to make the symptoms go away, but that is not the treatment that will really work.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr.
I have been seeing a chiropractor and I asked her about my c1 and c2 sublaxation. She said she working on this . But she is not an upper cervical chiropractor. May I ask what the difference is ? I Thought all chiropractic doctors were the same.
Hi Lee:
A conventional chiropractor (DC) is the chiropractic equivalent of a medical doctor (MD) while an upper cervical chiropractor is a DC who has gone back to school for a specialty in upper cervical, and would be the equivalent of an MD who took a specialty in ENT for example. So a conventional chiropractor is a generalist, while an upper cervical spine chiropractor is a specialist in the upper spine.
The upper cervical chiropractor has one more year of training specifically in how to precisely and gently adjust your C1 and C2 vertebrae. They are not the neck-cracking kind of chiropractors. They gently put pressure on the vertebra to push it into place and take x-rays to precisely measure how much and which way the vertebrae need to move.
I suggest you investigate treatment from as upper cervical spine chiropractor. These people are able to work wonders for certain ailments and they are very gentle–not the bone cracker kind. They focus mostly on your top two vertebra (C1 (Atlas) & C2 (Axis). If this joint is “off” then you could have some of the symptoms you are experiencing such as the ear problems and headaches.
You can find a chiropractor specializing in UCS by going to the following URL and entering your location. You can also read about the things these special chiropractors can do for you at this same website. Here is the URL.
http://www.upcspine.com/
Choose the “Practitioners” link along the top to find the one closest to you.
There is a lot of good information on UCS chiropractic on this page also.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi,
I have had tinnitus for many years, which learned to live with fine. As of this morning, I have noticed that, when I hear a noise above a certain volume, or a noise close to my ear, I hear a reaction noise quickly after in my ear. This reaction noise sounds like snow crunching.
It happens in both ears but only slightly in my left, and very loudly in my right. It has persisted all day, and hasn’t changed apart from two short periods where it was more of a high pitch crackle than a lower pitch crunch.
I saw a general practitioner earlier today who examined my ears and found fluid behind my right eardrum (she said the eardrum was convex, indicating fluid). I had a cold/congestion earlier this week but it mostly cleared up the last two days. She advised some nasal decongestant and said it should clear up.
I’ve convinced myself that I’ve got some sort of major problem, possibly TTS.
Only other relevant facts I can think of are that I bumped my head last night on a bannister (it didn’t bruise) and that I had some loud noise exposure four days ago when someone was shouting very close by.
Any advice or help gratefully received.
R
Hi Richard:
When you get a cold or virus, the virus can attack your inner ears and you may experience tinnitus and hearing loss, and/or balance problems. But sometimes weird things can happen and you get various kinds of distorted hearing. I think this is what you are experiencing. Hopefully, this will go away in a few days when your ears return to normal. There are no guarantees though. If things don’t clear up in a week or so, feel free to contact me again and let’s see what your ears are doing then.
From what you have said, I don’t think this is TTTS.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for replying. I saw an ENT consultant today who said that I don’t have any fluid in my middle ear. My hearing and eardrum-pressure tests were normal. I asked him about TTS and he said it’s not that, as that normally presents as “clicks”. He said it should get better in time and suggested tinnitus management.
I didn’t leave feeling very reassured. I was almost hoping that the tests would find something wrong so they could do something about it.
I still don’t understand why my ear is reacting to noise in this way (by making a noise immediately after in response).
I really feel hopeless now, although I’m sure many people would have found the consultation positive. :/
I did notice that last night I had a very loud, new, high pitched tinnitus noise in my right ear.
Richard,
I know it’s been a while since you posted but did this clear up? If so how long did it take to go away? I’m in a similar situation 5 weeks in.
Thanks.
I developed sudden sensorineural hearing loss overnight after listening to loud music using headphones. Since then, everytime I swallow I get this loud clicking/Rice Crispies popping sound in my ears. I found I can actually manually make this happen. Here’s my question: is it my jaw or a muscle in my ear that I am moving to make this clicking/popping sound happen? Because now I don’t even have to swallow. I also notice that sometimes it’s in both ears and sometimes it is just in one. Thanks
Hi Justin:
My guess is that your clicking/Rice Crispies sound is related to your tensor tympani muscle not functioning properly now as a result of your exposure to the loud music for some hours. I don’ think it is related to anything in your jaw or facial muscles.
Cordially,
Neil
If it is my tensor tympani muscle, how would I fix the problem?
Hi Justin:
Follow what I explained in this article.
Cordially,
Neil
Hypothetically, if I were to get my hearing back, would my tensor muscles relax and stop making the cracking/clicking sound everytime I swallow?
Hi Justin:
I don’t really think so. TTTS is not directly related to hearing loss. You need to follow the points I’ve given in the above article.
Cordially,
Neil
Sorry to bother you again, but is it possible the sound I hear in my ears are the bones in my ear (ossicles)? Is it possible I broke or damaged them? And, if so, how would I know? Is there a test or can you see them on an x-ray or something? Because this is not going off by itself. I am manually controlling it.
Hi Justin:
I sincerely doubt you have damaged or broken any of the bones in your middle ears.
Cordially,
Neil
Doc, I filmed a short video of the sound it makes when I move whatever muscle I am moving. It’s only 30 seconds. Could you please take a look? https://vimeo.com/289157945
Hi Justin:
I can barely hear you talking (at full volume). Can’t hear any other sounds so I don’t know what you are trying to have me hear. Can you record it with a more sensitive mic and have the mic really close to where the sound is generated. Then I’ll see whether I can hear it.
Cordially,
Neil
https://vimeo.com/289786071
This should be better. Turn the volume all the way up. Notice how my Adam’s apple has to move. I think my jaw moves as well, though I am not sure.
I am just tying to figure out whether this is a jaw problem or an ear problem.
Did you get a chance to look at the second video? sorry to keep bothering you
Hi Justin:
I can’t hear anything other than your voice and possibly two very faint clicks. You’ve got to get a microphone right up close to your mouth/throat etc. if I am to have a chance of hearing anything. Or go to an ENT and let him hear you. I had the volume on my computer wide open and also hooked in series with a powerful amplifier (120 dB) and that wide open too.
Sorry, but my ears just don’t work well (severe to profound hearing loss) so I’m not the person to hear this.
Cordially,
Neil
I am a violinist and have this syndrome in my right ear. I was told that surgery to cut the timpani muscle would cure it, but I don’t want to touch my ears, being a musician. I was also prescribed diazepam, which I take every 8 hours. It seems to go through cycles. Sometimes I feel it coming on when I hear low sounds, and it starts to be a constant hum. It gradually goes away in a stutter, and finally, just a rumble. It does seem to be activated by my practicing or listening to music, which is my profession. I have tried using an ear plug in my right ear, which helps a bit, but I can still feel it reacting to some frequencies when I play. I have also heard that reducing caffeine can help. Any other advice would be appreciated. This has been going on and off for about a year now.
Hi Leslie:
I’m with you. I wouldn’t have the surgery. I’d look for another way to get it under control.
Why do you think it is TTTS? You haven’t mentioned that you hear a repetitive clicking sound. You mention humming, stutter and rumbling sounds, but not clicking sounds. To me the hallmark sound of TTTS is clicking because the muscle is going into spasm and jerks the eardrum giving that clicking sound.
Tell me more about how it began. What was going on in your life then–abnormal stress, anxiety, depression??? Are you super-sensitive to normal sounds (hyperacusis)? Do you have any hearing loss? Any tinnitus?
Cordially,
Neil
Back in March 2018 I attended a loud concert. My left ear started to crackle shortly into the opening songs so I plugged it with my left index finger. I felt like leaving, but felt stuck in my seat. My right ear was unplugged for the show since it fared a little better than my left ear. After the concert, I was anxious about hearing loss and developed tinnitus in my right ear (sounded like a single tone, faint yet noticeable).
The same tone continued for a month until a firework show on July 7th. Once I sat back in the car after the show, I noticed the tone was the same, but louder. I also started to notice that when I raise my voice, I hear a resonate of what I’m saying in my right ear. It sounds external. Also when someone is talking loudly to me I’ll hear a slight crackle/resonate feeling mostly at the end of words. I believe I developed hyperacusis as well since everything was too loud and I was completely fixated on every single sound. I tried to relax and the hyperacusis mostly went away in a few days. I can at least use the bathroom now and do the dishes though some restaurants can still be a challenge to enjoy comfortably.
Also, since the fireworks, the tinnitus has changed from a single tone to ringing, to buzzing, to hissing, and now mostly switching back and forth from ringing and hissing. I also notice this faint beeping sound from time to time. Sometimes I barely notice the tinnitus at all like in the morning if I get a good night sleep. When I get stressed the tinnitus gets much worse. I also have sensitivity in my ear. It feels like the lower part of the ear drum. The sensitivity appear to increase with the loudness of the tinnitus. If I put my index finger between the jaw and the lower part of the ear, it feels like my ear drum moves and makes a slight quivering movement and slight noise for a second. If I hold the pressure, it does stop. If I poke again, it will feel it quiver again.
I do believe I developed a little more upper hearing lose in my right ear after the firework show, but I don’t notice it much (hearing test from 4 years ago report a little lose). It seems like after 7.5khz thru headphones, the sound shifts like it’s coming louder from the left ear whereas before it seemed to be more even.
ENT said eardrum looks fine. Audiologist stated hearing is good with mild high frequency hearing lose in right ear. Not much change from 4 years ago, but I also recall they only test up to 8Khz and I can hear higher than that. Pressure is ok.
Thoughts? It’s not the tinnitus I find the most bothersome. It’s more the inner ear sensitivity I feel as well as the resonate sound when speaking loudly and slight remaining hyperacusis. Really hoping the hyperacusis never returns to the extend it was at. Another interesting thing is that when I get out of the shower and towel dry my hair when I remove the towel my right ear makes like a settling sound for a second. I can then brush my left ear and the right ear make the same settle sound again. It’s like it’s hyper active.
Thanks in advanced!
Hi Jack:
Your ears have suffered from noise trauma and sometimes weird things happen besides hyperacusis. The best thing is to give them time to recover–2 or 3 months–and during that time protect them when in louder noise situations. Because of previous noise damage, your ears are not as “robust” as they once were, so are even more sensitive to noise trauma now and in the future. So you will have to take better care of them from now on, or things will continue to get worse. Just don’t overprotect them or you will cause hyperacusis to get worse.
Cordially,
Neil
Hr Dr. Niel,
I was diagnosed with Middle Ear Myclonus 3 weeks ago. Looking back, I think I had a mini episode in July 2018. I had just flown to Philly (from Dallas) and I noticed severe dizziness/vertigo/headaches for 3 days (which is not usual for me) as well as thumping/muffling in my ears. But, the thumping was brief and my main symptoms were the headaches/vertigo.
Flash forward to October, one week I started getting random thumping sounds at night, particularly when I bent over. Then a few days later, they became almost constant in my left ear. The thumping wasn’t consistent, and changed tempos and stopped for a few seconds, but then would resume it’s cycle. Mine sounds like someone tapping a microphone. The worst part is the physical sensation though, it feels like something is thumping on top of my ear drum. If I only heard it, I don’t know if it would be as miserable. My other ear has a more muffled sound, and is not nearly as constant or annoying. Mine episodes are usually during the day, about 8-12 hours, the longest was 24 hours straight. I have also noticed that mine are triggered by burping/yawning/hiccuping. Although, I have had some start without that.
I went to two ENTs and one Ontologist and all three seemed unsure what to do with me. They prescribed Klonopin and Flexeril. I had 6 thump-free days (besides the occasional thump after a burp/yawn) after taking the Flexeril, but then it started full force out of the blue.
I have also noticed that after a long episode, I have dull/achy pain in my occipital lobe area and behind my ear (also have never had that pain before this started).
Things I am currently trying:
Amitriptyline 10 mg
Magnesium ( two kinds alternating )
Iron
Vitamin B12 shots– I have been low on B12
Valium 5 mg
Things I am looking into:
I went to my dentist and I am getting a night guard for clenching
Chiropractor (as you have suggested in other posts)
Neurologist
Do you have any other recommendations on what I should try?
Thank you so much, I appreciate your help.
Hi Aimee:
Everything you say points to the fact that you have Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome (TTTS), or as your doctors diagnosed it it more general terms–myoclonus.
You say it began after a long flight. Did the noise of the engines bother you on the flight? Did they seem louder than normal?
You say that you had dizziness/vertigo/headaches for 3 days “which were not unusual for you”. What are they from? How long has this been going on for? I’m trying to see if there is a connection between them and your current experiences.
Were you under a lot of stress or have a lot of anxiety back then?
What are the two kinds of magnesium you are taking. The two most bio-available are magnesium threonate (which I take) and magnesium glycinate.
One thing you haven’t mentioned relates to relaxation therapy. I think that would also help you. If you learn to deliberately relax your various muscles on command you may find that your TTTS also “relaxes”. And you need to relax or quieten down your mind. If you are tense, it is probably running at a “million miles an hour”. You need to also slow it down and relax emotionally/mentally as well as physically.
Let me know what happens after you have been to an upper cervical spine chiropractor?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
In regards to your question about the flight:
I did not (or have never) noticed the engines bothering me on flights. I do not recall them sounding louder than normal.
I regards to the dizziness/vertigo, I have no idea what it was from. I only had it for 3 days (a day after the flight) in conjunction with the muffled/under water noises in my ear that happened occasionally during those 3 days when I bent down. I thought maybe it was a virus, or just a weird reaction to pressure changes on the plane.
In July, I had some stress, but nothing out of the usual. My husband and I had moved to a new house 6 months prior, but that was the most “stressful” event.
In my second episode that started in October, I only had about 30 minutes of extreme dizziness before the thumping started. After the 30 minutes of dizziness, I haven’t experienced it again, only the thumping.
I am taking the following types of Magnesium:
KAL Magnesium Glycinate 200 mg in the morning
Bluebonnet Calcium1000mg , Magnesium Oxcde 500mg, Zinc 15mg at lunch
Double Wood Magnesium L-Threonate 1000mg at night
The chrioproctor said that my alignment looked fine. He said the only thing he could tell is that I sleep on my left side (also the ear with the most thumping) and that my head was slightly misaligned on my neck, but not back. He did a small adjustment that caused immediate shooting pain on my right side. He said he had hear of myoclonus but had not treated it before. I do not think I will be going back to him, I may look for a physical therapist instead.
Thank you for your advice,
Aimee
Hi Dr. Bauman,
I’ve had tinnitus for more than 20 years, but It was not too loud and in high frequencies, It did not bother me at all. I had a mild hearing loss at 4 Khz in my left ear too.
In June this year I realized my hearing loss was higher than before, so I became very worried about it. In fact I went to my ENT, and she certified that my hearing loss at 4 Khz was indeed higher than before (loss 50 dB) , but nothing too important. because my right ear was OK.
I believe my hearing loss increased over the years because I’ve been listening to very loud music in my headphones (I regret to do that but it is too late unfortunately)
In July this year after some stressful events, I noticed a horrible feeling of fullness and fluttering in my left ear, I thought it was a tinnitus at that moment, so my anxiety and stress went up in a important manner, besides my old high frequency tinnitus increased in volume… I could
not sleep more than 2 hours per day for two months. I thought my life was ruined.
Now, I have been able to manage my anxiety and can sleep well and the feeling of fullness faded away, but the fluttering is still there almost 24 hours per day (sometimes when in total silence the fluttering become a fridge noise). The volume of my old high tinnitus is still higher than before.
-I think what I have is TTTS, Am I right?
-From July I feel the need of protection of my ears. I don’t dare to expose myself to loud sounds (If I do my fluttering is worse). Therefore I think I’ve developed kind of hyperacusys, althought I’ve checked my LDL twice and
I can stand up to 120 dB in all frequencies. Perhaps is misophonia to all loud sounds.
Not sure what is the best treatment / management to get rid of the fluttering and that possible hyperacusys/misophonia.
Sorry for my english, and thank you very much for your time
Hi Victor:
Probably your tinnitus was a result from your high-frequency hearing loss.
As you know, TTTS is largely a psychosomatic condition–and your recent stressful incidents could certainly have a bearing on developing TTTS. Did these stressful events involve any loud noise exposure? Noise and stress together could certainly bring on TTTS.
You may also have hyperacusis, but I doubt you have misophonia as misophonia is not supersensitivity to all sounds, but just to certain trigger sounds. Hyperacusis is more sensitive to all sounds.
You’ve done well to get your anxiety under control. However, I think you still have some anxiety–worrying about your ears–and that could be keeping the TTTS going.
One of the treatments for hyperacusis is always having soft background “white” or “pink” noise on so your ears are never in total quietness. Then over time you slowly raise the level as your ears are able to bear it. You ignore this white noise and in the process, you may find your hyperacusis slowly getting better in the process. I think your TTTS will do the same.
If you have any professionals in your area, you would do well to see them to get you started on the right path.
Your English is great. You don’t have to apologize for it at all.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello dr. Neil,
Thank you for this website/information.
I have tinnitus for abut thirty years off and on, like my eustachian problems (blocked many, many times, nothing ever helped).
About 8 years ago it became constant 24/7 , also got pulsatile tinnitus 24/7, trigeminal neuralgia type 1 and vertigo spells. All at my left side, all started around that same time.
Is there any logic to this at all?
Do you have any advice for me?
Thank you so much,
Alice.
Hi Alice:
Believe it or not, your symptoms all point to having your C1 and C2 vertebrae out of proper alignment. The solution is to go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor (not a conventional chiropractor) and have him align your vertebrae properly. You may have to go back several times until your vertebrae stay in proper alignment since they are used to being in the wrong positions and it takes time for your muscles, ligaments and tendons to get back to normal and hold the correct position. I think that is all it is.
Since you are in the Netherlands, there are very few upper cervical chiropractors. According to the list of such chiropractors, the closest one to you is in Antwerp, Belgium. Go to http://www.upcspine.com/ and click on the “Practitioners” button at the top, then on Europe and then on Belgium to get his name and contact information.
If you want to understand how/why this is all happening to you, read my comprehensive article on Meniere’s disease and read between the lines as you do not have full-blown Meniere’s–but you are getting there. You can read this article at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/atlas-adjustments-alleviate-menieres-disease/ .
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much dr. Neil! For you quick and clear answer. I have found the practinioner you talk about and I will surely make an appointment. I also read the article you pointed out. I have read about Dr. Burcon before but it’s good to get an update on this and also read some more about TN and Eustachian tube problems. All in all, you have been very helpful to me so thank you so much again!!
Most kind respects,
Alice.
I have suffered with bouts of this tensor tympani flutter for the last 5 years.
It fills me with dread every time I experience it, but slowly I am coming to terms with dealing with it.
My symptoms seem to be slightly different in that noise does NOT affect it. It didn’t come on from some loud noise exposure, not do I suffer with the sound of eating/speaking etc the flutter is incredibly irritating and I get extremely anxious with it and it has led me to be very low.
I am now on antidepressants to tackle this and am beginning to do meditation twice daily, I also exercise regularly and look after my diet, I have limited refined sugars and carbohydrates.
I have also ordered a little inner ear piece that emits a white noise, I’m hoping this will help with allowing me to not hear the noise whilst at work.
My tympanic flutter is constant, but is made a LOT worse by looking at a screen moving up and down or having something move infront of me (television etc) it is no different when I lay with with my eyes closed.
I stuff my ear with cotton wool throughout the day and at nighttime I listen to a headphone emitting white noises.
I have now started going to Cambridge Hospital (uk) to see a professor there. I am due to go back in May.
Does anyone else suffer with this type of symptom?
Dr Neil would really appreciate your input on this.
Thank you
Hi Anna:
Thinking back 5 or more years ago, what do you think might have started your TTTS?
You don’t mention it, but do you have any balance problems of any kind? You seem to have problems with things moving in front of your eyes and that makes your TTTS worse. I’m wondering if your vestibulo-ocular reflex is working properly. That reflex basically just says that your eyes and ears work together to help you keep your balance and when this is broken, things moving across your field of vision cause ear/balance problems such as your TTTS.
One thing I also wonder is whether you were ever in a car accident or ever had whiplash?
You might find that going to an upper cervical spine chiropractor might be efficacious. You can find these special kind of chiropractors by going to http://www.upcspine.com/ and clicking on “Practitioners”.
Cordially,
Neil
I’m certain I have it in one ear, I’ve had T in the other since 2012. The TTTS ear spams at will not related to sound but posture. However I can’t get realigned as I broke my back and have weak bones. I’m seeing a craniosacral therapist. I’d like to know if I can do gentle stretches or neck exercises or even acupressure to help me. Stops me reading in the quiet as the hum comes on when I read.
Hi Mary:
If your back is healed up, I don’t see why you can’t do gentle stretches, exercises, etc. to hold your back in proper alignment (or as best it will hold). Our bodies are made to move and this helps keep us strong and in place.
Since the hum comes on when you read, possibly you are reading in a wrong position, or are holding your head in a wrong position. Try different positions and see if there are any where you can read without the hum.
Cordially,
Neil
I am done with this. My story started around 1 year ago. At that time I stopped my anxiety Med and changed to a very stressful job. And then in December 2017, I started thinking I can hear ringing in my ears and I am having some uncurible disease. I was not dare to go to any ENT to check. After 3 months, when I was really very worried of my ear and even tried whatever method to clean my ear wax, all of a sudden, after a slap on the ear (which is not hard to be honest, it is more like a sensation then actual blow), I got this noise distortion when I hear loud noise. It also combined with neck pain and it is obviously some muscles are tightened. My ears also have the tickled feeling and ear fullness sometimes. At the same time, I got another popping noise sometimes when I am talking during meetings at work. I was so nervous and in the end I went to see the ENT, after doing some tests and confirm I dun have any serious illness, he just cannot give me any answer besides saying I am just having anxiety disorder and I should take the meds again. I have gone back to my psychiatrist and I started my anxiety meds again. Now after 7 months, I still got this distorted noise whenever I am in a very noisy environment, e.g. concert. I do believe my anxiety make it worse because that year of not taking the anxiety meds made my hormones in my body gone crazy too (which this part is improved with antiaxiety meds) …. but it is a vicious cycle if my symptoms within the ears dun improve.
In May 2018, I started birth control pills to regulate my period due to fibroid issues. For months it was causing an increase in anxiety and depression. Then my ears started to pulse. I get ringing in the ear when I lay down. I went to two ENT and both couldn’t find anything wrong. Also had a perfect hearing test. But my ears continued to be a problem with pulsing (not with my heartbeat) and feeling of fullness. My dr then put me on progesteron pills only called Norethindrone, taking out the estrogen effect about two months ago. But again my ears to pulse every so often along with anxiety. Just 2 days ago I started taking medroxyprogesterone to see if it would have a different outcome. But, instead my anxiety went through the roof and my ears had spasms. Last night the spasms lasted for over an hour just after yawning and really is scaring me. I guess I’m wondering if I may have TTTS or if it’s the medication.
Thanks
Tracy
Hi Tracy:
My first reaction would be to stop the pills altogether and see what happens in the next two weeks or so. If your symptoms go away, then you know it is the pills and you’ll have to work with your doctor to find something that will do the job and yet not affect your ears.
If stopping the pills doesn’t affect the pulsing, then maybe it could be due to TTTS (or something else). If that is the case, you could resume taking the pills for your fibroid issues. See what you doctor thinks of this.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
I stopped taking all medications and it turns out the ear spasms are still there. I went to three different ENT four times and he told me I have TMJ issues and should see an oral surgeon. He gave me cyclobenzaprine which are not helping at all. He explained to me about the myoclonus muscle in the ear and how it contracts. I have clicking when I speak and swallow. I and have subjected myself to loud noise. I am in the process of changing jobs which can be a bit stressful. However, just last night I was awakened with spasms going off in my ear. It is not in line with my heartbeat. It is every few seconds. I don’t know what steps to take at this point to stop the spasms. My ear feels full and some pressure inside. Do these systems line up with TTTS?
Hi Tracy:
It sounds like you do have TTTS. Now you have to get rid of it. Have you followed all the suggestions I make in this article to see if you can get rid of it?
Cordially,
Neil
I actually have an appt. with an upper cervical chiropractor today. I have tried everything else from seeing ENT’s to Acupuncture, and it has not worked. It is very hard to find any information of anyone who has went to see an upper cervical chiropractor and has had success. I was hoping to read more stories of the spasms in the ear going away after treatment of their spine. It can be so difficult to live with so I hope the chiropractor will be able to help.
Hi Dr.
As Tracy above mentioned, I also started having this ear fluttering feeling when I started taking medroxyprogesterone to induce my period. which I have took several times in the past before with no problems or side affect. The ear pulsing feeling started like 10 minutes right after I took the first pill. I was instructed to take the pill for 10 days. And my period came about 2 days after the last pill. I have finished my period but the fluttering feeling in my right ear is still happening after I yawn or at night when I lay down to sleep or sometimes come at random time. Do you think that the medication has cause some type of irritation to my ear drum? I am going to see an ENT this friday to see if there’s anything wrong with my ear.
Hi Mary:
Since both you and Tracy have had much the same experience with Medroxyprogesterone, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if this drug has something to do with your ear fluttering experiences. Or it could be that the Medroxyprogesterone along with anxiety has brought on the Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome.
Cordially,
Neil
I believe I have this but not sure. My tymponic activation is sympathetic from one ear to another. Listening to ear buds with one ear or talking on the phone, the other ear mutes sympathetically with the ear being used.
Hi Dr,
I have been dealing with hyperacusis, tinnitus, ttts and misophonia for the last 8 months. 10 months ago I suffered a traumatic head injury, I was hit in the forehead with a 12lb cast iron valve lid charged with 100psi from the water main. However it wasn’t until 2 months after when I went to a bar that was playing loud music that my problems arose. When I left the bar my ears felt very full and they were ringing and I was worried that possibly the music was too loud and I damaged my ears. So I slept on it that night but when I awoke they still felt full so I began to obsess over them and if I may have ruined them(I’m a musician so my ears are my everything) and slowly symptoms began to arise. First it was tinnitus then forks and spoons began to be unbearable which escalated to even the sound of my own voice being too loud. Then the fluttering began, oh how I despise it. It occurs anytime a loud noise happens even if its my own voice. Yawning it happens, moving my head to fast and it happens, it’s CONSTANT. So naturally I developed a fear of sound I began to avoid sound entirely as I was scared it would damage my ears. I have had severe anxiety and depression arise from this. My quality of life has been greatly diminished and I have even contemplated taking my own life over it. I constantly analyze every single little sound that somebody could make or I could make. I know it’s crazy right? Anyways I have been working with an audiologist through a TRT program where I wear pink noise generators all day in hope of desensitizing the ears. I’ve had them in for 3 months now and haven’t noticed a difference. I am having breakdowns and crying frequently and very anxious all the time. I worry about every sound that is made as it might damage my ears. I have had my c1, and c2 checked and I have had a TMJ specialist look at me. So it comes down to my ears…or does it? My question is could this be entirely anxiety induced? Could somebody possibly obsess so much that they could fabricate this? It’s something I’ve begin to contemplate. Are they noises really that loud or do I just think they are? Are my ears fluttering because it’s a startle response because I’m anxious and afraid? I’m looking for your advice!
Hi Jacob:
From what you say, it seems that the valve lid episode didn’t cause any damage to your ears, and that it all stemmed from noisy bar experience. Is that a fair assessment?
Since your ears were ringing and feeling “full”, you know that you damaged your ears to some extent in the bar. You suffered from acoustic shock. It doesn’t develop all at once, but you seem to have the progression than can happen.
Certainly anxiety can play a large part in your condition. You worried, obsessed, and now analyze every little sound. All your anxiety and depression is keeping your ears front and center and that is the opposite of what you need to do.
It is good that you are doing something constructive with the TRT program. This can take a long time–up to 3 years–so you are still in the early stages. Don’t expect fast results–especially given your mental/emotional state. You need help here too.
Is your audiologist skilled in TRT? Did she tell you of a number of success stories she’s been involved with? You want to go to someone that has a good track record of success stories, because you need someone with the experience to really help you.
How much directive counseling is your audiologist giving you. Wearing a pink noise generator by itself is almost a waste of time IF at the same time, you are not being effectively counseled about your tinnitus, hyperacusis, etc. Too often, I think, too much emphasis is placed on the sound generator, and not enough emphasis placed on the counseling. Yet it is the counseling that makes the most difference in my experience.
You don’t have to worry about normal, everyday sounds damaging your ears. They don’t. They may seem so loud that you find it hard not to believe they are damaging your ears, but this is just your PERCEPTION, not reality. You need to separate your perception from what is really happening.
Loud sounds, more than 80 dB can indeed damage ears–so you want to wear ear protectors when around them, but you do NOT want to try to protect your ears when sounds are not truly loud or you can make things even worse for yourself.
To answer your questions, you have a physical component to all of this, but you have an even greater emotional/psychological component. You need to deal with both. By focusing on all the problems and worrying about them, you are making things worse for yourself. It’s not that you are fabricating something out of nothing–there is real “damage”–but you are making things worse by all the anxiety.
You PERCEIVE the sounds as louder than they really are–and then you worry that these PERCEIVED loud sound are loud enough to damage your ears–and that is just not so.
Yes, your ears could be fluttering because of a damaged startle response.
I wish I were further along in my book on the subjects of hypersensitive hearing so I could help you more, because there is help for you. It is NOT a life sentence.
I’ll send you a story about a young man who had somewhat similar experiences to you–not the same–but similar–and how ho overcame it all. This will give you hope and hope is what you need right now.
Cordially,
Neil
IN NEED of serious help:
I believe I have this condition, but it does not occur when I get concerned about loud noises, or even hit by loud noises. But it is most certainly a muscle or something in the ear, with a weird vroom vibration pulse (not in a rhythm of my hear beat though) that can go from intermittent to just straight no break. This is lasting 10+ hours at a time, with only a few hours of break.
It leaves a slight tight feeling in the central part of my ear, and a slight soreness.
I’ve had this condition, albeit minor before for years (I’ve had T and H for years as well). It started suddenly one night when I awoke to a loud popping sound. This was in my ear I realized later. Followed directly by this vibration. This lasted awhile originally but over time faded away. Only occasionally coming back, and usually getting many months with out it.
When it did come back, it was usually after a car ride and I’d part and hear it acting up. But would die down shortly after. This also didn’t occur after every car ride, so it was random.
Now, 1 week and 3 days ago it became worse and constant. I lost my grandfather the day before it started being bad, but since I’ve been stressed and sad over loads of issues for years, crying and being upset wasn’t anything new. But, I awoke the following morning with it vibrating. Which is unusual and never got before from waking up. It wen’t away within a few minutes. But, shortly after I was getting earplugs ready called DECIBULZ. You mold them to your outer ear. While the plug portion wen’t into my ear (like those normal everyday 3 prong looking plugs) the warm plastic mold that was pliable was on the outside of the ear and I was pushing in towards my ear canal to mold it to seal. After doing this (and the plugs were a bit too small so they wen’t into the ear a little more than other plugs I use) I noticed the Vibration came back was a passion.
Ever since that point, it’s been almost 15 hours of day of it. Sometimes very intense, sometimes minor. Always bad when I wake up, usually mild or non-existant at 12-1am.
Is there any explanation for this? How is this happening and why won’t it stop? What am I missing here, I don’t understand. Did me pushing in and molding it to my outer ear cause some sort of pressure push/pull affect that injured or inflamed this existing issue that was dormant? I thought my tinnitus was bad, but this sensation and sound is truly making me suicidal.
Hi Ryan:
I wish I could help you, but, like you, I can’t seem to figure out exactly what is going on with your ears. I am sure it is partly due to stress/anxiety as it appears you are not a placid, laid-back sort of person–in fact–just the opposite.
Why were you wearing the Decibulz ear protectors? I’m curious whether you tend to overuse them in situations where you don’t really need them or not.
I’m also curious why the vibration is typically low at midnight, but high when you wake up. Is it high when you first open your eyes in the morning, or does it wait until you actually get up and start moving around?
Anything else you can tell me about this that may help me figure out what is going on?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
Thank you for the response.
The morning after losing my gran dad (crying a lot that day, upset ect.,) I awoke and noticed the vibration feeling, and sound from said vibration/spasm ( a 50hz or so hum with intermittent half second pauses, that can increase in intensity, as in, the tone become pure and single with no pause, if I get upset and now from car rides or using earplugs).
Now, I wasn’t too concerned as like I said, over the years I’ve had this off and on, but briefly and never lasting too long. As I got up and was up, it wen’t away quickly. Now, about 50 minutes later I used the decibulz earplugs. I only did so because they were new, and have to be molded to your outer ear after boiling. I was trying to do something constructive and keep myself busy that morning, and had just gotten those earplugs.
After sticking them in, and then molding the warm part around the outer ear and finishing, I pulled it out and noticed the vibration was back and was INTENSE. This lasted hours before calming down to the more intermittent vibration version of that morning. But it did not leave. It has stayed for 24/7 for 2 weeks. Only briefly I notice it might be gone after a hot shower. It varies in how bad it is, but nighttime for some reason it is a bit calmer. But not always. I go to sleep with it, and awake to it. Rarely I’m laying and sometimes it seems to just stop for a minute or two, to only come back.
Getting upset, or sticking earplugs in even now, intensifies it ten fold. Like the original incident, it becomes a more pure bass hum type echo that’s continuous and louder. I put foam plugs in to just test the ear 4 days ago for less than 30 seconds, and the result was almost 8 hours of it being extremely intense before it calmed down.
OTHER Symptoms include: After about 5-6 days of this, I started getting consistent ear soreness in the ear. Mild. It also feels a bit tight, or there’s slight pressure. Doesn’t feel full and I have no hearing issue, but it’s just a slight tightness. This has remained for the last week. During the last week as well, my original noise induced T has also gotten worse, so what ever is happening has been shifting tones, or creating new ones, and making the original tone louder. I also STRANGELY am picking up low freq, sounds in the ear much more. I can hear cars idling too far away to be hearing, washer-machines ect., that my left ear can’t up up, only my right.
I am deathly scared this is MEM. I did go to the ENT today, and although it was a Physician Assistant seemed competent. She stated my nasal passages were inflamed (which I think I’ve had off and on for years, never really doing anything for it as I don’t have symptoms like nasal drips or clogged ears. I do wake up and 50/50 chance my nose feels clogged, one or both, but clears up when I get up and ready). She believes I can have nasal sinitutus without normal symptoms.
On top of it, she said my eardrum looked slightly bulging inward I think she said? She used a camera and wen’t into my nose to look at the Eustacian Tubes. She stated they were pretty tight (which I thought was normal when they’re not open?) and unfortunately I can’t recall if she said they looked inflamed or not. I did not take a test for pressure results but she felt there was pressure as well contributing to the whole eardrum issue and was confident I didn’t need to take the Tympanometry.
She stated my description of the vibration feeling, and accompanying sound were something ETD causes. I was skeptical of this, but she said it was. I’ve not found anything online that shows these type of symptoms for ETD, but maybe I just have a weird form of it. I’m concerned she was just saying these things to calm my anxiety as I told her this was putting me to my breaking point. But she insisted this was most likely ETD and thought the odds of MEM was unlikely. She believes the intensity from the earplug I mentioned earlier was from pressure changes I caused in the ear making the issue worse. I was skeptical though.
Now, I’ve been on Flonase for 5 days without much success, she said it could take a month of it and this issue doesn’t resolve sometimes quickly. She also wanted me to take Amoxicillin which I am not doing for fear of making my original T worse. She also wants me on Prilosec as I mentioned I’ve had acid reflux for years off and on in intensity, I am up late and do eat late a lot of times. Though I’m trying to curb this. She believes that possibly I have silent reflux coming into the nasal areas and could be affecting this issue.
Things I don’t get:
I wen’t in 5 months ago with ETD issues in the same right ear, yet my symptoms were different. I had fullness feeling, weird sounds and womens voices sounded robotic. I had no vibration or the accompanying sound.
I’ve been upset and cried many times over the years from my T/H battle. So if getting upset and crying was creating inflammation and gunk in the ear area, why would I not get the vibration?
So it’s hard for me to think this is ETD when this is an old issue that came back worse and seemingly permanently stuck on, leading me to fear MEM.
Hi Ryan:
The more you tell me about your situation, the more I think you have one version or another of Middle Ear Myoclonus (MEM). Here is some interesting information on MEM.
“Middle Ear Myoclonus (MEM) tinnitus is commonly characterized as clicking, suggested to be due the tensor tympani movement, or buzzing, suggested to be due to stapedius movement; however, it has also been described as throbbing, tapping, crackling like a grasshopper, bubbling, ticking, twitching, blowing, drum-like thumping, fluttering like a butterfly, whooshing or gushing.”
Your humming sound isn’t specifically mentioned, you have be describing yours as humming, whereas they describe the same sound (and vibration) as buzzing. This could be due to your stapedius muscle going into spasms (myoclonus).
Furthermore, notice that
“MEM tinnitus is usually characterized as rhythmic, being regular or irregular, continuous or intermittent, and unilateral or bilateral. The frequency, pitch, and intensity can vary within and among individuals.”
This seems to describe your experience–changing from one to the other of these.
Your PA thought the vibrations were related to ETD. Like you, I doubt this. I think the main cause is the tympani tensor muscle going into spasms. Notice that this muscle is connected not only to the malleus (hammer bone) at one end, but “the approximately 20-mm-long tensor tympani is anchored to … the bony Eustachian tube and is also attached along the cartilaginous Eustachian tube.”
Thus if the tensor tympani goes into spasms it not only vibrates the malleus (and thus the eardrum at one end, it also vibrates the Eustachian tube at the other end. So the primary cause of any Eustachian tube vibration is the tensor tympani muscle.
If the tensor tympani nerve is pinched one way or another, it may not function correctly. Since the nerve that controls the tensor tympani is the mandibular branch of the trigeminal nerve (5th cranial nerve), if this nerve is pinched, you could have problems.
The same could be true of the stapedius muscle (wholly contained inside the middle ear) which is controlled by the facial nerve (7th cranial nerve).
Now, thinking outside the standard box, if your upper cervical vertebrae are not properly aligned, these nerves could be “pinched” to some degree, leading to the things the control to not work properly.
Thus, since no one seems to be able to help you, if I were in your shoes, I’d go to a special kind of chiropractor that specifically (and precisely) adjusts your cervical vertebrae.
I suggest you investigate treatment from a special kind of chiropractor that specializes in the upper cervical spine (UCS). These people are able to work wonders for certain ailments and they are very gentle–not the bone cracker kind. They focus mostly on your top two vertebra (C1 (Atlas) & C2 (Axis). If this joint is “off” then you could have some of the symptoms you are experiencing.
You can find a chiropractor specializing in UCS by going to the following URL and entering your location. You can also read about the things these special chiropractors can do for you at this same website. Here is the URL.
http://www.upcspine.com/
Choose the “Practitioners” link along the top to find the one closest to you.
If you find you are “out” (and these guys measure by degrees–for example I was out 3 degrees one way and 3 degrees at right angles to the first way–once they get you properly aligned so the pressure is off the nerves, things may start working properly again. I really think it is worth a try.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Neil,
Thank you for the reply. I have not had much improvement at all. It gives me a break sometimes for maybe an hour or two in the early AM, but not always. This suffering is far beyond my mental capability and I’ve become unable to move much, function or even wanting to live. I’ve already been torn and abused by normal T/H for years and this has become the death nail for me, so I am trying to do all I can as quickly as possible. Which is very hard as depression and anger have kept me closed off and not wanting to even get up.
I wanted to note that the sound isn’t really a hum. It’s really just purely a 40-50hz vibrating sound. That just pulsates. Sometimes if I get my pulse high it starts to reverberate and make the vibrating 50hz sound mix in together. I’ve also noticed at times low frequency sounds that I create, little palm taps to a wood drawer for example, or even tapping my cheekbone, make the ear sort of tense up. Like that rumbling sound you might be able to create when you yawn hard, or brush your ear if you’ve ever heard it. But it doesn’t do this with normal every day noises.
If I stick earplugs in my ear, or ear muffs, or rub the ear too much or get upset at all, the vibration becomes more intense and a continuous tone instead of one with very quick and brief pause in between. Does this signify anything about the condition? In addition the ear does feel a slight tightness at times and some soreness once and awhile. I’ve also noticed clicking very occasionally, little click, click, click, for about 15 seconds. Which I would love to have over the vibration pulsating sound.
I will also go down the route chiropractor for help, but I am skeptical. I don’t get why this started the day after my grandfather died or how using those earplugs and pushing into my ear creating a type of negative pressure I guess, started it. Nor why this same exact issue I experienced in short periods of time years ago.
If this was an issue of the vertebra, how can it happen at that moment for no reason. How could these muscles if they’re spasming, or pinch nerves, happen like this all of a sudden. If my grandfather didn’t die, and i didn’t awake and use those earplugs, I have a very good feeling this wouldn’t of started. I will try none the less though the chiropractor.
If that does not work, what are my options?
I’d also like to mention since this started, I’ve noticed more often the whoosing type of blood rushing sound more intensely in the ear too. More often, more triggers (laying and moving head to quick sometimes, getting up too quick ect.)
In addition to since this started, random frequent muscle spasms over my body. Little spasms that range from knee, arm, ect., brief but a decent amount a day. Only when this issue of ear started.
Hi Ryan:
I certainly don’t have all the answers to all your questions and all the “why’s”. You are thinking of the various things that happened and can’t see a connection between them–why should this cause that? It may be that some of these things make be the straw that broke the proverbial camel’s back. Each, in themselves, might not have caused anything significant–but all together was “too much”.
Definitely check out an upper cervical spine chiropractor and see what he says. Conventional chiropractors typically won’t be able to help you.
Is the blood rushing sound in unison with your heart beat? If so, that is called pulsatile tinnitus and can be caused by higher blood-pressure, clogged arteries and other vascular problems. Just the anxiety can cause your arteries to constrict and the result is this pulsatile tinnitus.
I don’t know about the random spasms over your body and how they are all related, but I don’t doubt there is a connection.
I’d try the upper cervical chiropractor first and see what he says.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
I have an appointment next week with the Ear House institute which is supposedly a good place to go for oddities like this. I’ve also been looking at upper cervical spine chiropractor nearby to see who would be best to go too.
I wanted to update you on the issue of the vibrating sound/sensation. I sometimes wonder if my description is off, but I have seen others online describe similar things by saying it’s like being in a house and hearing a car outside with it’s bass on, which I feel is an accurate description. Mine of course fluctuates heavily becoming more continuous vibration without break when it’;s bad, sometimes intermittent .2 second pauses making a rhythm.
***Most importantly***, I wanted to add that I recently had a bad cold last week, it only lasted 2 days, but when it peaked and my ears were full and had pressure like that of being on an airplane, I had ***NO VIBRATION***. Which was insane to me. I had almost 36 hours without vibration. I wen’t to sleep for the first time and woke without the low bass sound vibrating inside my ear.
When I awoke on Friday my cold was 90% gone. My nose was not stuffed, my ears were not full of pressure and low and behold, the bass like vibration was back. And it’s been a lot worse Friday and today. Which signifies to me that perhaps all the coughing and blowing of the nose has hurt or aggravated what ever this issue is.
Does this signify anything to you? Even when I was sick my ears felt better than they ever were and back to normal, outside the cold symptoms in the ear.
I also wanted to add that a few things on this vibration that you may find important:
1) Driving in car and coming back and turning the car off, the vibration bass like hum is extremely more intense and more a single continuous noise/sensation until it calms down back to a quick intermittent version.
2) Using earplugs or earmuffs, also does the same thing as point 1.
3) Talking or me making a hum sound with my throat, stops the vibration bass like hum and picks up instantly once I stop.
I hope some of this will indicate something. Thank you!
Hi Ryan:
Since your vibration stops when you had the cold and your ears were stuffed, and returned when they cleared, I’m wondering whether you have TTTS–but when your middle ears are clogged, the eardrum can’t vibrate freely so you don’t sense the humming sound. But once the clear, then the TTTS becomes apparent again.
I think that talking or humming stops the TTTS because then your tensor tympani muscle is needed to do its job of pulling your hammer away from your eardrum so you don’t deafen yourself. When you stop, then it goes back to its old tricks.
That could also explain why when wearing ear protectors it gets worse–there are almost no sounds getting through–so it doesn’t have a job to do–and messes up again.
Let me know what House thinks about what you have.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
That is an interesting theory. It sounds reasonable but my fear is that my sound doesn’t seem to match what you list and what the doctor listed (she stated it’s just clicking or thumping end of story). As you may recall mine is more of a car outside your house idling with a bass going. A 60hz tone. I can only best describe it as such. Just a low pulsating type vibrating sound that feels far away. I have however had more “click, click” sounds in the right ear, which not as frequent but both this time and in 2015 when I first got it before remission had click, click, click sounds associated once and awhile.
Also, I’m not sure I actually feel the eardrum vibrating, it feels further in. Is it possible that it’s just the muscle spasming itself and not eardrum or does the eardrum have to move too?
NEW FROM HOUSE:
Bad news from House (for my emotion state) though, she didn’t really seem no matter how many counters and oddities I saw with her conclusion that I had, was anything other than me having just irregardless of the cause and stemming from either possible cochlear issues and it being a brain issue. I can’t accept that.
She said it’s just “tinnitus”, and brain sourced in nature. She said irregardless of cause, noise or medicine, it’s a central brain issue. What!?And that the vibrating sensation when it gets intense is in fact possible too. I cannot accept it. So I just suddenly re-acquired a more rare tinnitus of lower frequency that makes a vibrating type sound at 60hz on top of my high pitch T? I asked her why it would pop up in 2015 for no reason, and be only intermittent with certain triggers. Then come back briefly for one day in 2018 after I had a ETD issue, and then nothing again until May of this year. She said, tinnitus can just come and go for no reason. Like well sure, tinnitus can come and go, but low frequency noise induced tinnitus or medically low freq. is often very rare and my normal T is always been higher pitch with only a very mild low drone in back when it’s super quiet. Nothing like this where I can feel it when it gets aggravated and a vibrating very low hum pulse type.
She believes the fact I pick up low. freq. sounds more in the ear when it’s quiet means there’s some excitability or something and this is all T and Hyperacusis related. I said I didn’t get pain in my ears other than from ETD issues, and that this slight soreness in ear from this vibration was not around before. I had loud noise exposures and all sorts of things, so why wouldn’t I’ve got pain before then? My H for years has always been just noises seems a lot louder and higher freq. noises being more bothersome to the ear. Rarely over years did I ever have a slight soreness from a noise, and that was temporary and what I believe was just the inner ear muscles tensing very tightly from the noise/startle.
She said my sound was not at all muscle related. She said there’s no vibrating hum/pulsing type sound from any of the muscles and that she see’s patients with this before, that it’s a click or thump! Wouldn’t even consider this likely she was so sure I was just T.
It doesn’t add up with my issues and what she is saying. I just have low freq. T that is so low and intense, and can go up in intensity, and down, and this is just T of the brain?
Wants me on nortriptyline and low salt diet, updated hearing test, ear pressure test and ABR test.
Hi Ryan:
Who did you see at House–an ENT or an audiologist?
The Nortriptyline is for depression, but what does she want you on a low salt diet for? They normally do that if you have Meniere’s to supposedly reduce the internal pressure of the endolymph in your inner ear.
Let me know the results of your ear testing and see whether anything unusual shows up.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
A Neuro-Otologist. I didn’t feel I was listened to much. I didn’t get to really explain in detail my history. I was just told it’s Tinnitus. The intensity of feeling it and the lowness of this buzz or hum does not seem like just T to me. I’ve had T issues through the years but it always felt like just a normal phantom noise, this isn’t. She said salt because it can aggravate T which I thought, salt doesn’t affect my original two T tones I have so I thought it made no sense. She didn’t think I have Meniere’s.
I’ve also noticed outside my own humming or talking, if i create an exterior sound it stops it. Not masks it. I sat in the car and it was pounding away in it’s more continuous form without break. I took my nails to the door and brushed. Not that hard, but I noticed the tone stopped and then came back. Just as with my voice or humming. So that seems unusual to me.
I’m terrified that I harmed my ear with those earplugs. The negative pressure I caused must of hurt something is my only guess. If I harmed the auditory nerves or cochlea somehow from that pressure. Since my ears are already damaged from noise, perhaps I’m more susceptible? A few days after I got this in May I do believe I developed a new type of regular T in my right ear, but barely noticeable and only in complete silence. So it makes me wonder if both sounds are just from damage.
I saw a normal ENT yesterday who I saw a month earlier. She took the Tympanometry test again and said it was worse than the last time I was here. She says I have Sinusitis and ETD issues, and that perhaps the vibrating type pulsating buzz was a result of that, so I should treat what I know is wrong first. Since I do seem to have some soreness and tightness in the ear deep since this started, which is similar to 2015 when it happened I also had a soreness in the ear and tightness (which wen’t away within a few weeks though), there seems to be some similarities. She thinks this has been a chronic issue for me.
She wants me on Azithromycin for 5 days & Singulair. She thought I was too young for blood vessel issues causing this but also ordered a Carotid ultra sound as well.
I’m terrified to take an antibiotic, which I haven’t used one in over 10 years, long before my T was bad. I’d hate to make my normal T worse by trying to fix this.
I wish I could find someone in California who can spend the time to listen to my full history and think outside the box. I can’t even really get all the information out and symptoms before doctors run off.
Hi Ryan:
Salt aggravates tinnitus in some people–therefore, for them it is sensible to keep their salt intake lower. But salt doesn’t make tinnitus worse for lots of people so to ask them to restrict there salt intake for that reason is asinine.
I still think your problems are more related to TTTS than anything else from all that you have said.
As to the Azithromycin, it is ototoxic to a degree so it’s always better to avoid it unless you KNOW you have a problem that that antibiotic can fix. How does your doctor KNOW you have sinusitis? Or is it just her guess?
Montelukast (Singulair) is also ototoxic. Did you ask her specifically what it is supposed to do to help you? I’m assuming she thinks it will help your sinusitis.
Maybe you need to write out what you want your doctors to know and get them to read it and give you their opinion before they “run off”.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
She based it off of:
1) Typanometry test which was showing problems in the ear
2) She visually looked into the nose
3) Attributing my ear sensation issues and slight soreness to siniusitis that is causing ETD issue.
I saw the Physician assistant in early June at the same place, who use the camera to go into the nose and look at the tubes, at the time she said as well that the tubes were very tight and she said it was red.
So the main ENT last week I believe thinks all of this isn’t recovering simply from FLonase and antihistimes so it needs antibiotics. The Singulair I believe she thinks its more powerful or likely to help compared to the over-counter antihistimine. But I don’t want to try as it isn’t the best for ears.
I also wanted to note my OPPOSITE ear is having problems, which it never had before this whole ear problem started in May.
I’m getting a spasm, and it feels close to the ear canal so I believe it is the ear drum. It starts as a one thump sound, then progresses into these very quick 3-4 constricting jittering sounds, that have between a 15-1 minute break in between each set. It does not seem to react to noise or anything, it just does it at random intervals. I originally noticed this about a WEEK after my main viberating buzz happened in the right ear. It didn’t last long. Within the last 10 days though, I’ve had it 3 different times, lasting 3-4 hours.
Right now I awoke to it at 6am, and it’s still going. Very scared because I don’t understand why there seems to be problems in the supposedly good ear. I feel like I’m falling apart, I can’t even cope well with the right ear issue (which surprisingly was better yesterday, outside some pain in the ear towards nightime) and now the left ear is having this very jarring spasm that is unmaskable when it does it.
Hi Ryan:
Everything you say still seems to point to TTTS. The supposed sinus problems seem to be very slight and not causing the experiences you are having–especially in your better ear. Whereas TTTS can affect both your ears.
Have you seen a upper cervical chiropractor yet?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
My ENT thinks the sinusitis is affecting the ETD causing it to constrict tightly and she believes the slight soreness in ear is from this and the pressure issues in the ear since my Tympometry test showed worsening from the previous one. In your opinion these types of issues cannot cause what i describe? Could Serous Otitis?
I can’t fathom how the left ear is seemingly having problems. Can you have TTTS with different symptoms in the ears like I do? Without noise triggering it? Though, since low bass sounds do trigger the right ear to become much more intense/worse, perhaps at least low frequency noise does trigger it.
I wen’t to a chiropractor quickly, not a upper cervical chiropractor, out of just quickness. He didn’t want to work on my neck at all because believed if I’m not having any soreness or issues, and had not trauma like an accident, there would be no reason.
Do you think I should still peruse an upper cervical chiropractor even without issues there? Is it possible there’s a problem even if I don’t necessarily feel anything on the neck?
Thank you again Neil, you really don’t know how much your responses have kept me going. My 20’s have been miserable since I’ve got noise induced T and sensitivity to noises. I never imagined in 10 years of battling T/H and finally getting better, I would suddenly find myself with these issues. It’s been so rough on me I can’t even begin to put it in words. Thank you for trying to help and guide me.
Hi Ryan:
I still think that you need to go to an upper cervical chiropractor before worrying about anything else. Going to a conventional one didn’t help as you found out. They don’t have any expertise it this. And yes, you can be “out” and not feel pain–especially if you are only a bit out.
And you have issues–TTTS and that can stem from your top two vertebrae being out. That is why I suggest you see an upper cervical chiropractor to rule out (or not) problems in your upper cervical spine pinching nerves there.
Once you know everything is good there, then its time to look elsewhere. But you’ve already looked elsewhere and nothing seems to fit. For example, your ENT saying one ear is clogged, yet you have the same problems in the other ear that supposedly doesn’t have anything wrong with it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Neil,
Wanted to update you. Things have been rough stressful and I thought I had some progress only for this to rev back up again.
Around the end of August I was having the vibrating buzz/hum sensation less. I would get long breaks, and it would occasionally come back after turning off the car from a drive, but even then it was less intense. Occasional random times as well, so I was hard pressed for a triggger, as it just felt random.
Well, this improvement, which I called it as it wasn’t 24/7, is not regressing back into the previous months where I was almost suicidal. For reasons I don’t know, the vibration is coming on more again, and stronger.
Within the last week, I’ve once again started noticing this deep pain in the ear that sort of just aches and is off and on. This is something that occurred right when it began in May of 2019. Coming back from car drives it goes back up to a 10/10 in intensity, the A.C unit outside my window when on, vibrating low frequency sound activates it. It seems to be slowly and surely ramping up and lasting longer and giving me less breaks. I’m extremely fearful.
The only thing that changed was there has been so more noise than usual. A bell rung near me at the store, some things dropping that were loud. A few times I got upset and it ramped up the vibration/buzz, but other times I got upset it didn’t.
I haven’t gotten to get my neck worked on, as I’ve been very hard on money. I recently had part of my wisdom tooth break off so now I have to contend with that, and I’m sure any drilling or work done will vibrate and kill my ear setting my back even further.
The more it seems that the neck is probably not the problem from these symptoms and things that aggravate it.
I do not understand why low frequency sounds are triggering it. It doesn’t seem to make any sense to me, that this it’s aggravating supposed the middle ear muscle somehow. I’m at a loss, scared and sadden as it’s all so overwhelming contending with this problem, my regular T, my hyperacusis and a host of other separate health issues.
It must be one of the muscles as I can’t see what else it could be. As you know, talking stops it, external sounds stop it as long as it’s close to the ear. Clearly something is being switched on, and then stops when I use it for talking or hearing a loud enough noise.
Someone else on another website who shares the a similar problem contends that this is a trigeminal nerve somehow becomes sensitised or activated and it triggers it.
Since I had this condition pop up briefly in 2015 for a few months, which was not as frequent or as intense, but still triggered by car drives sometimes and when waking up, I’m really starting to wonder if I physically damaged these muscles by the intense crying, hard blowing of nose ect., as this happened the day after my grandfather died. It cannot be unrelated that this happened the following morning to that previous day of grief. Or the fact I had muscle spasms appearing all over my body as well at random intervals. Right now it’s been in my eyelid for the last month.
It’s almost as if the muscle is in fact weak or sensitive in general, and my central nervous system wen’t into meltdown from stress, depression, crying and all of this had an affect to activate the ear. I don’t know what else to think. Nor do I know what to do.
I thought when the vibrating in August started to subside, I was getting better. I became more active, wen’t out more and was HAPPY. I was so excited to sleep without hearing it, to go a whole day without it.
Now that’;s its back and slowly getting worse I’m just mentally giving up again.
Hi Neil,
I was wondering whether you could assist me to understand what my condition is. I have had tinnitus for over a month now after exposure to a few sudden deep loud sounds a person made sitting next to me. I can describe it as having a constant ringing in both ears, as well as a low humming/vibration in both ears that comes and goes. After my ENT specialist removed a lot of earwax from my ears I can say that my ringing has been suppressed quite a bit and I no longer need to mask it during the day (only when I sleep). However, the humming/vibration sound is a bit distressing, it is really odd because it is sometimes there and sometimes not. Also it can be stopped if I turn my head upside down or if I talk, make sounds with objects but then it returns to its normal humming/vibration sound. Also, I did not hear it the whole day yesterday until I ate a high carb meal which seemed to trigger it. Do you know if this could be my tensor tympani or stapedius muscle tensing/vibrating due to the acoustic trauma/shock I experienced over a month ago?
I also believe I have hyperacusis as I am a bit sensitive to sounds.
Kind regards
Hi Chris:
Unless the person was shouting into your ears, I don’t see how such short and not ear-damagingly-loud sounds would cause what you are experiencing, especially since your ears had a lot of wax in them which would dampen the sounds.
Are you sure there aren’t any other factors involved? Perhaps if you explained this in more detail I could understand better.
If taking the wax out reduced your tinnitus, that means you had some hearing conductive hearing loss that is now gone and thus the accompanying tinnitus has greatly reduced too.
I’m wondering whether rather than being TTTS, you have PET (patulous Eustachian tubes) or some Eustachian tube dysfunction.
When you say you are sensitive to sounds–is it all sounds, or just some sounds? And if the latter, are they low or high frequency sounds? Are these sounds just louder, or sharper, or what?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
The person shouted this exact same sound (below) twice/thrice but he told me he was looking ahead at the TV not at me:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BabFcrL6Q80
I was startled by the sounds and have had this low frequency hum/buzz/vibration sound that comes and goes but can persist for a while not pulsatile. But do you know why I can stop it momentarily if I talk/create external sounds/turn head upside down or sideways?
Regarding the ringing do you know if it could go away in the coming weeks as I’ve read that the ears can take a while to get back to normal once wax is removed?
Also, I found out at my ENT appointment that I do not have any hearing loss (above average) and when he did an ear pressure test it came back normal.
I have realised that I can go out and general sounds don’t bother me. However, sudden high-pitched sounds or loud conversations tend to sensitise my ears and I do hear this fluttering sensation in my ears, also cringing.
My ENT inspected my nose and mouth and no issues came up.
Kind regards
Chris
Hi Chris:
I think you have a form of TTTS or stapedius muscle spasms (myoclonus) due to acoustic shock. The reason it stops when you talk, is that these muscles are needed so quit their spasms and “get to work”. When you stop talking and there is nothing for them to do, they resume their spasms. Turning your neck or head upside down can also cause them to stop their spasms too–I think this is because the nerves running these muscles are otherwise busy at that time as well.
Removing wax as such doesn’t need time to “get back to normal”, but if the person doing the wax removal is too rough, it could take time for the ear to return to normal.
Since this has an emotional (stress/anxiety) component as well, you need to reduce your worry over this. Stressing about it is just counterproductive.
It is normal with this kind of “damage” to be sensitive to higher-frequency sounds and to louder sounds. Hopefully, if you don’t have any more “trauma” to your ears, things will return to normal in time. You may need to be patient for some weeks while that happens.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
Thanks for your response and advice. Do you feel that ttts or stapedius muscle spasms/vibrations can resolve over time or do I need to use muscle relaxants?
Also given that I have no hearing loss is it fine for me to wear headphones at a low volume?
I don’t hear the ringing in the day as long as I’m not in a somewhat silent enclosed space so the associated stress has reduced since earwax removal, the only stress I have is about the humming sound but recently l’ve heard it less. Hopefully it will go but it has come back when I thought it was gone for good before.
Kind regards
Chris
Hi Chris:
Yes, the spasms can go away over time–it does not have to be a life-time sentence. Remember, that these are psychosomatic conditions so it has a lot to do with your emotions. You want to learn to relax and keep your anxiety down. That will be a great help in the process.
You can wear headphones/earbuds. That is not a problem as long as you listen you music at the same level you would listen to say a recorded lecture. The problems arise when you listen to music at substantially louder volumes than you would to a person talking.
You get good days and bad days–so sometimes the ringing is worse than others. That is a good sign. It means that it is not likely to be permanent since you do have good days. Over time, hopefully you have more and more good days and fewer and fewer bad days. That is good progress. You have to be patient.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Neil – I first noticed spasms in my left ear about 2-3 years ago. It would happen when driving. I thought the bass was too loud and I’d turn down the radio and it’d typically go away. Never though much of it. About 2 months ago I had an acute case of tinnitus (loud ringing and some distortion) lasting about 4 hours, the morning after a particularly loud band practice. Three weeks after that I had laparoscopic hernia surgery. it went fine but I wasn’t oxygenating well afterwards and they kept me overnight. During the ensuing week my head felt foggy and my neck was quite sore. I played music about a week after the surgery — acoustic, not crazy loud — and I developed what has been persistent tinnitus since (very high frequency and oscillating). That’s been a little over a month now. I’ve since noticed that the spasming in my left ear has gotten much worse and can be triggered by ordinary conversation. I’ve been dealing with considerable anxiety though I’m starting to get that under control. Finally slept last night without the aid of klonopin. The TTTS is highly unpredictable though and has added a wrinkle to this situation that is making habituation harder. I’ve started CBT and I know I’m early in the process. Wondering what you think… if you think and upper cervical chiropractor would be advisable… I’ve definitely had anxiety issue over the years but I’m having trouble making sense of all this given the the TTTS was so mild for so long, and now seems to have manifested as a form of hyperacousis. Thanks, Mike
Hi Mike:
As you know, tonic tensor tympani syndrome is largely caused by two things, exposing it used to louder sounds, and stress/anxiety. You have been doing both so you shouldn’t be surprised that you now have TTTS.
It can also be caused by your neck being out of proper alignment. It’s possible that your hernia surgery was a factor. Your neck may have been been to have a wrong angle and so could be also causing, or at least making worse, your TTTS. It wouldn’t hurt to go to an upper cervical chiropractor and have your neck checked out to make sure everything is in proper alignment. Then you’ll know that your TTTS is not due to your neck. If so, you can continue working on getting your stress under control. CBT is also an excellent strategy to help you.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for your response. My only concern is somehow exacerbating the tinnitus following an adjustment. I’ve read some anecdotal stuff about people experiencing worse tinnitus after seeing a chiropractor. Not sure if they are upper cervical but I’m just a bit gun shy…
Hi Mike:
Over the past 50 years I’ve gone to numbers of chiropractors all across Canada and the USA. Some were really good. Some not so good. However, I have never had any chiropractor cause me any change in my background tinnitus level. So you may see some anecdotal reports, but can you guarantee that they are telling the truth that the tinnitus was caused by the chiropractic treatment and not some other coincidental condition such as taking any of the more than 500 drugs that can cause tinnitus–and blame the resulting tinnitus on the chiropractor rather than the drugs. This is just one example.
If you seek out a good chiropractor, I wouldn’t worry about him harming your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi,
due to a firecracker (1.5 year ago) i had a pressured and blocked and tight feeling in and around my ears. I don’t have tinnitus or hyperacusis, I’ve done a mri and ct scan and everything seemed fine. I’ve had a lot of hearing test done and also everything seemed fine. The pressured feeling is already a lot less but it’s still the blocked and tight feeling in and around my ears and jawline and cheecks that bothers me. Can somebody help me?
Hi Mia:
You’re lucky you didn’t get tinnitus and hyperacusis considering how long this has been going on. Given more time, the feeling of pressure should continue to fade away.
As for the tight and blocked feeling around your ears and jaw, etc. I’m wondering whether you flinched so hard when the firecracker went off that your muscles have knots in them so they cannot relax and since your doctors have nothing to offer, maybe its time to think out of the box. One thing that comes to mind is to go to a massage therapist and have that person work on your face, jaw and neck. They should be able to tell you whether they feel tightness in those places. If so, massage therapy and reducing the trigger points could make a real difference in how you feel.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi,
thanks for the answer! could it be the trigimenal nerve that is irritated? So you think there is a possibility that it should resolve itself? Do you know other people who had the same as me? Thanks for the advice!
Hi Mia:
It is always possible it is your trigeminal nerve being irritated. If so, then treatment by an upper cervical chiropractor (not a conventional chiropractor) can take the pressure off it and resolve the problem if your neck is not in proper alignment. Massage therapy may also help.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for answering! I will try that! Do u think this has a chance of going away ? My left ear sometimes pops without reason.
Dr. Neil,
I started hearing what sounds like a helicopter about 3 weeks ago. We thought there was a moth in my ear. I work at a medical clinic and my ears were examined. The ear with the muscle spasm happening, the eardrum is opaque. Both ears, I have to keep popping due to a full feeling. I have trigeminal nerve pain and ear ringing for years, but the spasms are new. It is causing some blurring of my vision and some vertigo.
Mistee
Hi Mistee:
Since you have trigeminal nerve pain and also a fluttering sensation from tonic tensor tympani syndrome, as well as blocked Eustachian tubes, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if your upper cervical spine is not in proper alignment. All three of these symptoms can be due to improperly aligned cervical vertebrae. If I were you, I would go to see an upper cervical spine chiropractor. Note: these are special chiropractors, not conventional ones.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi,
I had perforated my ear drum just over 2 months ago due to being slapped in the left ear. Shortly afterwards i developed tinnitus (buzzing and cricket sounds) which lasted for about 5 weeks.
Shortly afterward i then presented myself to an ENT due to having a ringing and blocked sensation in my right ear. The ENT diagnosed me with Eustachian Tube Dysfunction and advised me to perform the Valsalva maneuver to relieve my symptoms. That night, i performed Valsalva as advised and every since i have had this vibrating feeling in my left ear in response to different frequencies of sound. For instance, my ear drum will have this vibration feeling when i hear a car engine from a couple hundred metres down my street (when lying in my bed). The sound of certain air corn frequencies will also set off this feeling/sensation. The sensation is not rhythmic but is rather responsive to the sound (the louder the frequency the louder the vibration).
Another symptom that i have is that when i swallow, i get this sense of aural fullness. When i press my tragus onto my ear drum i also hear a seashell like noise (when you put it up against your ear). Finally, when i now yawn i also get this weird crackling sensation in my left ear. Its different to your normal pop/cracking sound as its as though my ear drum makes over 4 small crackles in one yawn (very difficult to explain).
What do you think this could be? as it is really starting to have an impact on my life and tinnitus in my left ear has now reappeared. I also performed a hearing test and everything came back as being normal.
Could performing Valsaver have caused TTTS? could it be that debris from my eustachian tube has been pushed right back up into my middle ear (as i did have a lot of dried blood from my perforation 2 months ago)? Your help will be highly appreciated.
Hi James:
I’m curious why being slapped in your left ear caused problems later in your right ear? Any ideas?
A hard slap right over your left ear can cause acoustic shock/trauma and act somewhat like you exposed your ear to a sudden loud sound like a gunshot near your ear with all the consequent side effects. I wouldn’t have expected it to affect your right ear.
Does the vibrating sensation vary with the frequency of the sound like it does with the volume of the sound, or is the vibration always the same frequency–just louder or softer?
When you swallow, your Eustachian tube doesn’t open, does it–giving you the full feeling?
Some of your symptoms are consistent with TTTS.
Doing the valsalva maneuver could have pushed the gunk up your Eustachian tube if you did it to strongly. That seems to make sense, but why cause your eardrum to flutter with sound. I’m wondering if some gunk touches your eardrum in the presence of sound–your eardrum vibrates and touches the gunk, then recoils from it and hence the fluttering sensation. Then the louder the sound, the harder the eardrum touches the gunk and thus the harder the recoil. Does this sound like a possibility to you?
You don’t have the classic symptoms of TTTS, so nothing quite fits so the more you can tell me, the better I’ll understand your specific condition.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil
I have been suffering from inner ear spasms in both ears for a long time now. I don’t know if its a symtpom of TTTs, but let me know if it is. My ear spasms started when I was in high school. I’m now 21 and I still have it. For years, I have been having trouble trying to figure out what has been causing these ear spasms. At first, I thought that it was loud music because I would often put my music at high volume, but I realized that it was not because I went a few days without music and also music with low volume and it still happens. I’m not sure if it is stress or tmj either, but I do feel tightness and crackling in my jaw whenever I open my mouth wide and I have also had stress due to fear of the spasms. I’m also trying to figure out If it is poor blood circulation because I don’t exercise too much. Right now I’m trying to find foods that have magnesium such as bananas because I heard magnesium treats the spasms and eating sweets makes it worse. The only time when I know the spasms start happening is whenever I sometimes yawn or burp. I try to hold in my yawn or burp because im afraid it might start happening again. This condition has been very frustrating for me and I have been looking all over the internet for answers to why it keeps happening and I found nothing. I even went to my doctor and I went to an ENT and they had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. I told my parents,but they didn’t really seem concerned about it and they kept telling me to accept it, but I won’t because this was something I was never born with. What scares me the most about this condition is that it keeps happening out of nowhere especially whenever I’m sleeping and don’t understand why and it makes me feel hopeless because I feel like there is nothing I can do about it. I can’t concentrate in school or in my personal life because it keeps interfering with me and its destroying my confidence. I have been having a lot of suicidal thoughts lately and I feel like right now its the only answer I have. I’m in desperate need for help and I would greatly appreciate it if you would answer back.
Thank You
Ori
Hi Ori:
Think back to just before the spasms began in high school. What happened back then just before they began that might have caused them. Any ideas? One possibility was exposing your ears to loud sounds–like at a particularly loud concert.
Describe your spasms in greater detail. What do they feel like? For example, do they feel like your eardrum is fluttering or what? Exactly where do you feel them? Are there other associated symptoms? How long do they last? What sets them off besides yawning or burping? Does this set them off every
time or just sometimes? Are they affected by sound? Etc. The more you tell me, the better I may be able to help you.
There is no doubt that a shortage of magnesium in your food can cause muscle spasms anywhere in your body. You might want to take magnesium supplements besides eating foods rich in magnesium. The most bio-available form of magnesium is magnesium threonate. That is what I take.
Are you taking any drugs or medications and if so what?
That should be enough questions to get started.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr.Neil
Thank you for writing back. Before the spasms, I had depression for about 3-4 years and I still have it now. I never went to a loud concert, but I do put pretty loud music almost everyday with headphones. I don’t put the volume up too high though. Also in high school, I had problems with trying to clean my ears and I went to the doctor multiple times to get it removed, but now I don’t have any problems with wax and I am certain for sure that this is not what caused it. Also I heard tmj could be a cause because my jaw is always cracking and tightnening, so I’m guessing that could be a cause. As for the spasms themselves, it feels like a throbbing, thumping sound coming from all the way inside my ears like its coming from the back or something. sometimes it feels like a bone fluttering or something and it would last for second, a few minutes, or sometimes even a day or two. whenever I get the long spasms, it starts to get painful and then my eardrum gets sore whenever the spasms stop. it sometimes happens when I burp or yawn and other times it doesn’t. I’m not on any medication, but I do take vitamin D for my depression which has nothing to do with my ears. I don’t think they are affected by sound because even when I tried to go a few days without music, they would still happen. I’m still confused on what sets them off because they just happen out of nowhere. Also back in high school, I used to have a whooshing sound tinnitus where it would sound like wind coming from my ears, but I don’t have that anymore and I’m not sure what caused it. Maybe music, but I’m not sure exactly. Right now, I putting my music at a normal volume just to see if it is going to help, but I’m still getting the spasms. it used to happen also whenever I’m sleeping which makes absolutely no sense to me. For now, this is all the description I have, but I have a few questions for you.
Do ear spasms occur due to not exercising and poor blood circulations?
Do ear spasms happen due to bad posture?
Can dehydration affect ear spasms?
Sorry if this is a lot of information I’m writing, but I really want this problem out of my life. Let me know if any of the things I just described are TTS symptoms.
Thank You
Ori
Hi Ori:
From what you describe, I’d say you definitely have Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome. Read my article over again as it will help you know what to do. Note that it is a psychosomatic condition so your emotions play a large part in its development and treatment.
I wouldn’t be surprised that it was brought on by listening to your music too loud. The proper way to listen to music is to set the volume so it is about the same level you hear people talking to you. Then you won’t damage your ears.
To answer your questions. I doubt the spasms are from not exercising enough or poor circulation.
It is possible that TTTS can be related to bad posture–specifically if certain nerves in your upper neck are “pinched” to some degree. An upper cervical spine chiropractor can check to see that everything is in proper alignment or not.
I don’t think dehydration has anything to do with TTTS.
Anxiety and stress are two things that can cause TTTS or make it worse.
Have you noticed that you are more sensitive to certain sounds–especially higher-pitched sounds? Do you startle quite easily?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil
I’m not really sensitive to sounds but I do have a hatred towards the ear spasms themselves. Also I’m still wondering if it is a jaw tightness problem because my jaw sometimes feels tight and it sometimes crackles when I open my mouth. What I want to know even more is why does it happen out of nowhere? I hope that everything you wrote in your article can be a cure for this problem because I am working on controlling my stress and depression. I’m also going to try and go without music for a few days. I would greatly appreciate it if you would respond again.
Thank you
Ori
Hi Ori:
I understand. Ear spasms can be very annoying.
Ear spasms typically do not appear out of nowhere, but are a response to an overactive startle response–typically to a sudden loud unexpected sound and then your emotions get involved and overstimulate the startle reflex so it goes into more or less continuous spasms.
You need to get this startle reflex to calm down again–and being emotionally upset with it is not the way to do this!
It is also possible it is caused by your neck/jaw being out of proper alignment. So going to an upper cervical spine chiropractor (not a conventional one) and having things checked out could be a good idea.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr.Neil
I really want to know why my ear spasms occur whenever I burp or yawn? I’m very curious to know.
Also I’m a bit skeptical about going to an upper cervical chiropractor even though I heard people who went there were free from their ear spasms. Do you know anyone else besides the person you mentioned in your example that has went to a upper cervical chiropractor and got positive results?
Hi Ori:
I’d like to know the answers too. I suspect that burping or yawning somehow stimulates/irritates the nerves involved and they go into spasm for a bit.
You are free to be skeptical, but just remember the old adage, “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”. I went to a upper cervical chiropractor for transient vertigo episodes that were getting worse and two or three treatments cured that. Never had another one since then. ALL the people that get back to me after going to upper cervical chiropractors for whatever “ear” conditions they may have had have related positive results. But you have to make up your own mind what you want to do in order to get rid of your TTTS. I just give out information. You use it as you see fit.
Cordially,
Neil
Just came across this article very Interesting, I feel fortunate to not have ttts as severe as some but recently discovered it when just touching my
Face, I can touch all over the left side of my
Face no problem but pressing just gently on the whole of my right cheek gives me the tympanic flutter, as if my eardrum is preparing my face for a slap or something, same when I scrunch my right eye shut but nothing from the left side. I have an anxiety disorder which I treat but not sure what to do about the ttts
Hi Emma:
Since the same nerve that controls your facial muscles also controls your tympani muscle, if those facial nerves are excited, it can also excite the tensor tympani muscle–hence the fluttering of the eardrum.
Remember that TTTS is a reflex action that is basically a startle reflex. When you are anxious, you are more easily startled. Much of the solution is to get your anxiety under control so you don’t startle so easily. Learn how to totally relax yourself.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
this article really makes me think I might have TTTS, but I am not sure.
I developed tinnitus in 2016 as a result of too much loud noise exposure. Last year something happened where I felt it got worse and I developed hyperacusis in the sense that some sounds makes me ears hurt, not so much sound feels louder than it is, it just makes me ears hurt. I don’t know if this is hyperacusis? Or dysacusis? All these terms confuse me to be honest.
Anyway, for the last year I’ve experienced weird sensations
Whenever I hear sounds that I feel are too loud, this makes me sure that these sounds are damaging my ears further, and this again makes me monitor my tinnitus more, and makes my tinnitus feel worse.
The symptoms I am experiencing are the ones you are writing about hear, fullness, popping in the ears, sharp pain that comes and goes and also dull pain in the ear that will stay with me for a while after the exposure to the sound. Sometimes when it is really bad I experience a burning sensation around the ear and the ear becomes warm and red.
Immediately after I hear the sound I will feel shocked, and after this the pain and fullness appear in my ear (the ear that was closest to the loud sound)
All these symptoms have given me a lot of anxiety over time, cause I do feel my ears are being damaged further, and I feel like I have developed phonophobia the last couple of months, because I feel really scared of sound and scared of hearing sudden loud sound.
I think a lot of what you have written here are compatible with my experience, It’s just I think it is so hard to know if the sounds I am talking about are moderate everyday sounds that are not harmful, or are louder sounds that are damaging my ears. Also, after doing some research I see that actual ear damage symptoms will be similar to TTTS symptoms as well, which makes me question if I have TTTS or if I have damaged my ears further. Sounds that will make me have these symptoms can be: my children screaming (this will give me symptoms if they are close to me, but thankfully I have never had them scream directly in my ears), my children dropping something hard on wooden floor, this has given me symptoms many many times. If almost happens daily.
Clashing of dishes or cups.
When my anxiety over the sound exposure is high the symptoms normally subside in a day after when I feel a bit more relaxed.
When my anxiety over the sound exposure isn’t that bad, and I manage to calm down and tell myself is wasn’t that loud the symptoms normally subsides quicker, the same day.
I see you write this can lead to tinnitus escalation, do you mean the clicking sound (the tinnitus that is a symptom of TTTS) will appear? Or can your normal tinnitus also get worse due to TTTS? I do feel like my tinnitus has escalated during the last couple of months, but I don’t know, because my anxiety is through the roof these days and I guess it is not helping.
Which makes me question if I have TTTS or not is what you call fluttering sensation, I do not understand what this is? Could you explain the feeling some more? I don’t really know what fluttering means, as I am not that good in the English language. I dont know if I have this.
Is this a feeling you have as a symptom for it to be TTTS?
Also is hyperiacusis and TTTS the same in the way that if you are experiencing pain it doesnt harm your ears more, or does pain due to hyperacusis hurt your ear further?
I’m sorry for all the questions, I’m just desperate for some more answers, as I don’t know what is going on with me these days.
Thank you Neil,
Monica
Hi Monica:
From what you say, I think you definitely have TTTS. You got your initial tinnitus from exposing your ears to loud sounds. Then last year, your tinnitus got worse. You don’t say, but I’m assuming that you had an incident where you exposed your ears to a sudden loud sound of some sort and since then, things have gotten worse. Correct? I suspect you suffered from a loud, sudden and unexpected sound, correct? If so, you have developed Acoustic Shock Disorder (ASD). ASD and TTTS can be closely intertwined, and often occur together. ASD can also include a component of hyperacusis as well.
You probably have some degree of hyperacusis. You also have dysacusis–just be aware that dysacusis is a more general term that covers several different conditions. The various symptoms of TTTS can fall under the general term of dysacusis for example. I prefer to use more specific terms so you know exactly what you are dealing with.
I think you have several condition that are all mixed together–acoustic shock disorder, tonic tensor tympani syndrome, loudness hyperacusis and fear hyperacusis (phonophobia) for four.
The key to your problem is in this statement you made, “Whenever I hear sounds that I feel are too loud, this makes me sure that these sounds are damaging my ears further”. Thus you worry and are anxious about this and thus focus on your tinnitus and other symptoms. And this just makes your symptoms worse.
This is because TTTS is basically an anxiety condition. And as you mention, the days when you relax, your symptoms lessen and get worse on the days you are really anxious. So you know what to do–learn to relax and get your anxiety under control.
What is fueling your anxiety is your fear that you are damaging your ears. You said, “Whenever I hear sounds that I feel are too loud, this makes me sure that these sounds are damaging my ears further.” Normal, everyday sounds are NOT damaging your ears–even though it may seem like it. So your fear is based on your FEELINGS, not on actual FACTS.
How to tell which sounds are ear damaging and which are due to your anxiety? It’s easy to tell. Normal, everyday sounds that you experienced in the past with no problems are not ear damaging. Loud sounds that made you jump or wince in the past (and other wince too)–those are too loud and can be ear damaging. As a rough guide, sounds under 70 dB are never ear damaging, whereas sounds over 90 dB can be if exposed to them for long enough. Sounds over 115 dB ARE ear damaging. The grey area is those sounds between 70 and 90 dB. While your ears are more sensitive, you may want to avoid these sounds as much as possible. They probably will make your symptoms temporarily worse, but should not cause permanent damage.
Whether your tinnitus is a clicking sound (from TTTS), or your regular tinnitus sound, the thing that most makes you perceive it as louder is your level of anxiety. Both TTTS and tinnitus are driven by anxiety so calming down and not worrying about your ears will help you have better days.
When certain sounds give you ear pain, it is logical to assume that these are ear damaging sounds–but this is not true IF the sounds are not really loud sounds that would damage everyone’s ears. So you need to work to overcome these false fears. Now that you know they are not damaging your ears, you can begin to calm down and as I said above, you will have more and more good days due to your relaxed and calmer emotions.
Your English is wonderful. You could have fooled me that you are not a native English speaking person. A fluttering sensation could feel as though you had an insect in your ear canal beating his wings. It feels like your eardrum is moving. This is one of the symptoms of TTTS.
With hyperacusis you PERCEIVE sounds as so loud that they are causing you pain. Your pain is real, but is based on the false perception of the loudness of the sounds you are hearing. These sounds aren’t really that loud, but you PERCEIVE them as painfully loud. Thus, they do not physically damage your ears–it just feels like they must be because you perceive them as being so loud.
So now I think you can see that you have a number of different (though intertwined) conditions that are giving you various sensations that you perceive as ear damaging, when they are not. By not focusing on your tinnitus, TTTS, etc. and realizing that you are NOT damaging your ears, you can reduce your worry and anxiety, and in turn, these symptoms will be less and you will have more and more good days until these conditions cease to be a problem.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Bauman,
Thank you so much for being so knowledge about a condition so few others seem to know about! Your help is such a blessing.
Last Tuesday, I attended a concert using 30db plugs and later that night, felt a moment of single sided tinnitus. I have had manageable nighttime tinnitus for probably 10 years. The next morning, my ears (especially left) felt full / pressure. I also feel flutters sometimes when I talk, clicks when I swallow etc. I have noticed that the tinnitus has spiked and leveled back out 2 tones since. The pressure seemed to abate for a few days, but then came back after my son’s jui jutsu class yesterday (I did use a DB tracker and it came on average of 75db, but some quick moments of 90). I was intermittently wearing ear muffs as a precaution even through the noise didn’t feel uncomfortable. I admit that I have major anxiety, and now around sound. Couple questions:
1. At what DB level do you recommend protection? Or do you recommend avoidance?
2. Can I cause hyperacusis by overprotecting?
3. Sounds like you can have TTTS and tinnitus without hyperacusis? I’m very scared of getting H.
4. Ear fullness not something I should worry about?
5. Also, can I cause worsening at levels like my son’s juijitsu class? Seems safe according to the OSHA limits….
One final thought – I had the same ear fullness response following an MRI in August with their rated ear plugs. I was very anxious about it as well, so unsure if there was actual damage done or it’s just my anxiety manifesting the TTTS. The fullness then lasted about a week.
Should also be noted that in Nov 2017, I took the antibiotic Cipro and it unleashed a lot of damage onto my body. I noticed the first fluttering May 2018. Intermittent sound sensitivity Jan 2018. Loud noises don’t pain me, but feel like I’m a bit more sensitive to high volumes than others.
Thanks so much!
Hi Saleema:
30 dB ear protectors should have protected your ears–but there are a lot of variables such as whether they were seated properly to actually provide the 30 dB protection, how close you were to the speakers and how loud the volume was where you were sitting.
It seems that you have a certain degree of TTTS now, and your ears have suffered some degree of damage–hence the tinnitus. However, anxiety and worry are a large component of both TTTS and tinnitus.
Now to answer your questions.
1. When the average level is above 80 or 85 dB, you’d be wise to consider ear protectors. The same is true if the peak levels are up over 100 dB to 110 dB.
Typically, damage occurs from two factors, the volume of the sound, and the length of time you are exposed at that volume. The way it works is that for every 3 dB increase in volume you have to cut the exposure time in half. Thus if you have as you baseline–like OSHA does–85 dB for 8 hrs, then you can work out the safe times above that. i.e. 88 db for 4 hrs, 91 dB for 2 hrs, 94 dB for 1 hr, 97 dB for 30 min, 100 dB for 15 minutes, etc. This is for average ears. If you ears are more sensitive even these limits may be too liberal.
The EPA has a more conservative scale that they use. Their base is an average of 70 dB for 24 hrs. So it would work as 73 dB for 12 hrs, 76 dB for 6 hrs, 79 dB for 3 hrs, 82 dB for 90 mins, 85 dB for 45 mins, 88 dB for 22 mins, 91 dB for 11 mins, 94 dB for 5 mins, etc.
Notice the big difference. With the OSHA scale, you could safely expose your ears to 94 dB sounds for 1 hour, but with the EPA, the safe limit is only 5 minutes. This is because the OSHA scale is based on sounds for 8 hours a day at work, whereas the EPA scale is based on ALL the sounds your ears hear at anytime (24/7).
Over a lifetime, the OSHA scale will eventually cause hearing loss, not so with the EPA scale so it is the safer way to go. Note that these are AVERAGE levels, not peak levels.
Once you get up to 115 to 120 dB, a single peak sound can cause instantaneous damage in some people.
2. Yes, overprotecting your ears for too long can result in hyperacusis. Your ears want to hear sounds and if you wear ear protectors during quieter times, you will block out all sounds, so your brain will turn up its interval volume to try to hear something. Thus when you take the ear protectors off, everything will sound too loud. Typically, your brain will then turn down the internal volume again, but if you do this too much and for too long, the volume seems to get stuck on “high” and you have hyperacusis. So there is a fine line between protecting your ears enough and overprotecting them.
3. Yes, you can have TTTS and tinnitus without hyperacusis, but this is not common. Typically, you’d also have a component of hyperacusis in the mix. The hyperacusis could be mild, or moderate or severe. So much depends on your emotional state. The more anxious you are, the worse all three of these conditions likely will be. Thus you need to learn to keep your anxiety and stress under control.
4. The feeling of ear fullness can be a result of your middle ears being clogged. But it can also be a result of TTTS without your Eustachian tubes being clogged at all. As you get your TTTS under control, this clogged feeling will go away from this cause.
5. If the average level was 75 dB, the EPA standard says you can exposure your ears safely for 6 hours–and that is far longer than your son’s classes. That assumes you have ears of average sensitivity and there are no very loud peak sounds up above 115 dB.
Your ear fullness following your MRI was probably due to TTTS/anxiety rather than any real damage.
Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) can and does cause all sorts of ear damage including hearing loss, hyperacusis, tinnitus, balance problems, ear pain, ear fullness, etc. However, since these symptoms didn’t show up in the immediate months following your taking the Cipro, I doubt they were the cause of your subsequent problems–although the Cipro may have caused some damage that was exacerbated by your more recent anxieties.
Since you are more sensitive to high volumes than other people, this indicates to me that you have some degree of hyperacusis.
Again, I repeat, you need to work to get your stress and anxiety under control. This will go far to bringing your ears back to normal.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks! Do you have a favorite sound meter app for the iPhone?
Hi Saleema:
I have no particular favorite as each of them have different functions and ways of displaying data.
Supposedly the NIOSH SLM is the most accurate, but I also like Decibel X, SoundMeter and Decibel Ultra.
There are a number of others that I have, but not to snow you under.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil
I am thinking about going to an upper cervical spine chiropractor, but I have a few questions to ask you before I make my final decision
1. Do all blair and NUCCA chiropractors know about tensor tympani syndrome?
2. Do I have to feel pain in order to know if my C1 and C2 vertebrae are subluxated? I’ve never been in an accident or anything so do you think it could be other causes?
3. Is the burping and yawning thing that I mentioned before related to tmj or is it a eustachian tube dysfunction?
4. Can upper cervical chiropractors fix other things such as depression or allergies because I have both of these things?
I would greatly appreciate it if you can try and answer them.
Hi Ori:
1. I doubt it, but they don’t need to know. All they need to know is how to get you in proper alignment. Then you body will do the “fixin”. But you also have a role to play since so much of TTTS has to do with your emotional state.
2. No. Your vertebrae can be out just a bit–enough to affect nerve function, but not enough to cause pain.
2a. Sure it could be other causes, but if you go to an upper cervical guy, at least you will know one cause it is not (or is).
3. It may be, but it could be other factors too.
4. I don’t think it will help unless your depression or allergies are directly due to nerves not working properly. I’d look elsewhere for the causes of depression and allergies. For example, go to mercola.com and in the search box type in depression and allergies and you will come up with many articles or each. You’ll find several things that you can do for depression. And you may find your allergies are due to leaky-gut syndrome. You can search for that condition there too.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Niel,
I stumbled upon yout website after reading some ETD Facebook posts. I’ve been dealing with ear fullness (mostly left side) and voice problems for almost 40 years. It’s hard to talk most of the time and I often stumble over my words. Randomly, and not very often, my voice issue disappears and I can speak like I have no problem at all, but this is maybe three times a year. Had every test you can imagine, seen every doctor you can think of, even had my bite adjusted by several TMJ dentists. Saw one of the best Meniere’s doctors in the country, had trigger point injections, acupuncture and chiropractic (although not upper cervical), two myringotomies, considered balloon dilation of the eustachian tube, you name it. Had an E-Cog test of the inner ear, on and on. I’ve had stuff done to me I don’t even remember after all these years. So reading what you have to say about that tiny muscle in the middle ear naturally caught my attention. Knowing my journey thus far, what would you recommend? When my symptoms get really bad, I put tissue paper in my ears which takes my mind off the fullness, not sure if this clue for you (sounds like it could be). Anyway, thanks for your opinion. I love reading your compassionate responses to those who’ve posted on this site. Take care. – Kevin/San Diego
Hi Kevin:
From what you have said, your doctors have looked at “everything” and haven’t helped, so it’s time to think outside of the medical box. Since the ear fullness seems to be the main problem, personally, I’d go to an upper cervical chiropractor and make sure your C1 and C2 are in proper alignment. If they put any pressure on your trigeminal nerve (which also runs your Eustachian tube), it may not work properly and cause the problems you have had all these years.
You have two tiny muscles in your middle ears the tensor tympani and the stapedius, as well as the tensor veli palatini that attaches to the tensor tympani. If these muscles are not getting the right messages from their nerves they won’t work properly and can also give you that feeling of fullness.
Thus, everything points to some “pinched” nerves in your upper neck. I suggest you investigate treatment from a special kind of chiropractor that specializes in the upper cervical spine (UCS). These people are able to work wonders for certain ailments and they are very gentle–not the bone cracker kind. They focus mostly on your top two vertebra (C1 (Atlas) & C2 (Axis). If this joint is “off” then you could have some of the symptoms you are experiencing such as the ear problems and headaches.
You can find a chiropractor specializing in UCS by going to the following URL and entering your location. You can also read about the things these special chiropractors can do for you at this same website. Here is the URL.
http://www.upcspine.com/
Choose the “Practitioners” link along the top to find the one closest to you.
See if that is the problem. Once you are properly aligned, and if you still have problems, let me know and we’ll see what else may be the culprit.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr Neil
I had spontaneous intracranial hypotension for five months this year, caused by a spinal CSF leak. I read when we lose CSF fluid from around the brain and brain sag occurs, that the brain pulls down on all the auditory nerves. A lot of auditory weirdness occurred. The first 2 weeks everyone sounded like a robot & eating sounded like bombs going off. After that was tinnitus, ear fluttering, voices echoed, hyperacusis, music was off key. Since I had an op to fix my spinal CSF leak I still have high pitch tinnitus & occasional butterfly flutters in my left ear & low pitched rumbling/ bubbling and occasional thumping in my Right ear that is not pulsatile. I wear an ear plug on the right side to prevent noise vibrating through my skull. I’m anticipating having to live with this from here on, but was wondering if u think it is possible for auditory nerves to recover from being pulled out of place for so long and hence the possibility the tinnitus may settle? My eyes recovered once my CSF leak was sealed.
Regards,
siân
Hi Sian:
I’m not expert on this, but I’ve never heard of the auditory nerves being “pulled” and thus causing problems. How long has it been now since the CSF leak was fixed?
Personally, I wouldn’t wear an ear plug except when you really need it. Otherwise you can make matters worse. You want to slowly allow your ear to return to normal and in order to do that, it needs to hear regular, normal sounds at full volume. Just protect it from truly loud sounds.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil!
This Will be a message in hopefully understandable English för you. I am from Sweden so i hope you Will understand my bad English.
In the spring of 2019 I had a stressful time at my work as a preschool teacher. I can recall not noticing how much i was stressing but now aterwards I do see signs.
Anyway, I got a very bad cold in the beginning of may with fever, pain and blocked eras, as common when you are getting a cold.
I was home for a few days from work and then got back. The blocked ears took maybe one more week to fully recover. But now til my problem. Maybe a couple of days after I got well IStarted notice like a vibrating feeling in my left ear. It almost felt like my eardrum was moving. This came and went and dissapeard in two days or so just to begin vibrating in my other ear, the right one.
This made me very worried and I can recall just standing still and waiting for the sound to come. This lasted for maybe 3 weeks, but after this I was so worried about getting it back, so it was almost like I was listening after the sound even if it was not there anymore. This made me listen to if I har sound in my left ear aswell. During this time I felt very blocked in my both ears. After a couple of weeks I got the strange vibrating feeling/sound back in my right ear wich got my axienty go be even Worse then before. I got an appoinment at a doctor that could see little air in my right ear and described me some medicin fore swollen eustachian. My Left ear did look good after tympanometri even tho it felt blocked.
This same evening I got a miner buzzing sound in my left ear(The Good ear) and
A little pain. After a month i got back to the doctor and told him about my new problem with the left ear. He then checked it out and could se miner fluidcysts on the eardrum. I got an appoinment to an ear specialist one month later and during this time I was doing a lots of varsal menuvers. During my appoinment at the specialist, he just checked my eardrums and Said it looked good. Next time I did a hearing test witch showed no hearingdamage caused by to loud noise or caused by age. I had a very miner hearingloss in the 1000-2000hz witch could be genetic,but the doctor said I had normal hearing. I asked him what my blocked ears, fullyness sensation, sometimes pain and vibrating in right ear and tinnitus in the left ear depends in, and he just gave me the answer that it sometimes feels like that when your having a hearingloss. No further questions about where it came from etc. I asked him if he has read my journal, but be Said no. I ge en very leftout and I dont Think he took me seriously. Maybe you can give me some advice on what my fullyness, buzzing and vibrating depends on.
Sorry for my bad English.
Regards Johanna
Hi Johanna:
Your English is fine–I understand you.
Few doctors know much about Tonic Tensor Tympani syndrome so they give you the “brush off” rather than admit they don’t have a clue what is going on and don’t know how to help you.
I think your problems started when you had the cold and your ears were blocked. This blocked feeling made you particularly aware of your ears. Now you were more sensitive to what was going on with them so when your eardrum began vibrating it got you attention. Then you focused on it more and more and it got worse and worse. This caused you more and more anxiety. As you said, “I can recall just standing still and waiting for the sound to come. After this I was so worried about getting it back, so it was almost like I was listening after the sound even if it was not there anymore.”
At this point, your anxiety became a self-fulfilling prophecy. You listened for it and sure enough, you could hear it. You see, tonic tensor tympani syndrome is mostly an anxiety condition, rather than a physical condition.
First, you need to realize that TTTS does not damage your ears in any way. The tensor tympani muscle when it goes into spasm pulls on and thus vibrates your eardrum giving you a fluttering feeling and you may hear a buzzing or clicking sound (tinnitus). This can result in ear pain in and around your ear. At the same time it can cause your ear to feel blocked although there is nothing physically blocking your Eustachian tube and it does not affect your hearing. So you think you have a hearing loss, but an audiogram doesn’t bear this out.
Now that you know what is going on, and that it is not harmful to you ears, you need to work on getting your anxiety level down. Learn how to relax. Focus on things other than on your ears. The more you focus on your ears, the worse things will become.
You might want to take magnesium supplements as many people are low on magnesium and magnesium is good to preventing muscles from going into spasms. (The fancy word the doctors use is “myoclonus”) If you can get it, magnesium threonate is the most bioavailable form of magnesium.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr.Neil
Last month, I have been going to an upper cervical chiropractor and she found that my C1(my atlas) is out of alignment and she also found a horn on the back of my skull. I stopped going last month because the adjustments didn’t help me at all and I’m still experiencing the ear spasms. I was very disappointed with how it went and things got even worse because I have been searching all over the internet and I can’t find out what is causing my ttts. A lot of websites don’t have any conclusive treatments and I hear that it can be caused by multiple sclerosis which is an incurable disease and it made me paranoid when I read about it because I’m worried that I might have it. Also, I have a feeling that I should continue upper cervical treatment, but I want to know what you think I should do?
I just worried that I’m still going to get the ear spasms even when my C1 gets properly aligned and I’m also unsure as to why the spasms occur and don’t occur when there is a misalignment.
I’m also still unsure if listening to music is causing the problem because even if I’m not around loud noises, I still get ttts. right now I’m trying to stay away from putting headphones on, but it’s not helping so far since I also get the spasms from yawning and burping.
I don’t understand why these ear spasms are an on and off thing. Do you think it could be because of my C1 out of alignment?Also do you think a NUCCA chiropractor is better than a blair?
I don’t think my ttts is related to my emotions at all because sometimes i get it out of nowhere.
I’ve been going crazy these past few weeks and I would like some answers.
Thank you
Ori
Hi Ori:
TTTS can be caused, in part, by your C1 and C2 being out of proper alignment, but there are many other causes. I think in your searching all over the Internet, you are looking for a physical cause, but the biggest cause is psychological and psychosomatic.
Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome is not a disease. Rather, it’s basically a startle reflex—a psychosomatic dysfunction which is exaggerated by high stress levels. As such, it is an involuntary, anxiety-based condition where your centrally-mediated reflex threshold for tensor tympani muscle activity becomes reduced.
This causes frequent spasms where your tensor tympani muscle continually and spasmodically contracts and relaxes—aggravated by intolerable sound exposure—as a result of anxiety and trauma. This can initiate a cascade of physiological reactions in and around your ears without your doctor being able to find any measurable dysfunction or pathology.
I’ve never seen TTTS associated with multiple sclerosis so I don’t think it is a common cause. Thus you are likely worrying unnecessarily–but all that anxiety can definitely be a factor in yours not going away.
Increased mental stress appears to be the common thread running through nearly every case of spontaneous tonic tensor timpani muscle activity in the ear. That is why you need to get your stress and anxiety under control.
What was going on in your life in the weeks before you began getting TTTS symptoms?
Since TTTS seldom occurs by itself, you likely have other ear conditions. Tell me more about your ears and their history.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr.Neil
My TTTS started five years ago, but I can’t remember exactly what day it first started. It started after I had my depression. I was unhappy with everything in high school and I used to suffer from earwax fullness a lot which ruined my last 2 high school years, especially my senior, and my senior year was when my TTTS first started. At first I didn’t really pay attention to it, but then it became a problem once it started happening more frequently. No doctor has ever heard of it and that’s what scared me the most. there were times when it went away on its own, but I’m pretty sure it has something to do with my music being played too loudly. I also heard that loud music can decrease magnesium levels so I’m thinking of trying it out. Also I’m wondering if sound therapy might work as well. I heard that sound therapy has the highest chance of curing TTTS and hyperacusis and I believe that this method might work for me since I’ve never quit my habit of playing music too loud.
Also, I just want to know what you think of other articles that say that there is no diagnosis or treatment for TTTS because I do think there is a solution. I was never born with TTTS so I am 100% sure that I can reverse this whole thing.
Hi Ori:
There is a diagnosis and treatments for TTTS. I just finished writing that chapter in my new book on Hypersensitivities to sound. But be aware that TTTS and several other conditions are all intertwined so they share a number of similar symptoms.
Since TTTS is a psychosomatic condition, a lot depends on your frame of mind. In other words, you have a lot to do with whether any treatments are successful or not. It’s not what someone does to you, but what you do yourself to control your emotions that makes most of the difference.
As long as you continue playing your music too loud, you are setting your ears up for all sorts of problems. Thus you need to tone it way down if you want to ultimately get better.
Cordially,
Neil
While serving in the Marines I was around a lot of machine gun firing and helicopter noise. I have been diagnosed with high frequency hearing loss in both ears, left worse than right, and I wear hearing aides in both ears. My right ear has a strong ear drum rapid twitch, the twitching can get bad enough to cause my right eye to twitch and my eye will even water. I sometimes get a full feeling and get dizzy and if it lasts too long I get a bad headache. My ENT has referred me to Neurology who conducted a CT Scan and ruled out cluster headaches, there was then an MRI to rule out a tumor, and now a dye injection CT Scan to check blood flow. Everything has come back normal. The ENT is saying probably TTTS caused by my Tinnitus. The issue is the right side only. The ENT is talking about cutting the two inner ear muscles but the Neurologist has prescribed a build up to 100 mg twice a day of Lamotrigine and now .5 mg Lorazepam with the onset of a larger episode.
Do you know of prescribed medications that may help? What is the downside of the surgery for TTTS? Also, can I just treat the dizziness and the headaches? Just looking for direction prior to electing the surgery.
Thanks,
Rod
Hi Rod:
I think you are wise to look at other treatments. Once the surgery to cut the tendons of the tensor tympani and stapedius muscles, this cannot be undone. True, the vibrations should cease, but what about all the other symptoms? And you will be left with supersensitivity to sounds in the future as these muscles dampen loud sounds.
How long have you been wearing hearing aids?
How long ago did you develop TTTS?
Did some specific event precipitate the TTTS? Or did it come out of the blue. Often there is a particular event like a sudden loud noise that precipitates TTTS.
Were you under a lot of stress or anxiety just before the TTTS began? Remember that TTTS is a psychosomatic condition and your emotions/psychological makeup have as much to do with TTTS as any physical component. So, dealing with the emotional side of things often has an enormous effect on your TTTS. If doctors don’t help you on this side, but just focus on the physical side, you don’t have as much success.
The eye twitching can accompany TTTS, so can headaches, the feeling of fullness in your ear, tinnitus, and some balance problems.
Two common symptoms are loudness hyperacusis and misophonia (annoyance hyperacusis). You haven’t mentioned them. Do normal sounds seem too loud to you, and are you annoyed at certain sounds because they seem too loud to you now?
As to medications, one man reported that Cyclobenzaprine (Flexeril) (a muscle relaxant) that his doctor prescribed, really helped him.
Get back to me with more information and answers to my questions and I’ll see what pops up.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks, I’ve had the hearing aids for a little over a year. I was having a hard time following conversations in large rooms or crowds. This led to a hearing test where they discovered the hearing loss.
I am unsure the exact time I remember the first TTTS event. I do know about 10 years ago was the first time I had someone stop me in mid conversation to ask me if I was ok because my eye was twitching so bad. I remember because he was a good friend who said he could see on my face something wasn’t right. I’ll squint and my eye will even water at times. I take my glasses off and put my knuckle to my eye at times to stop the twitch if talking to someone, like wiping my eye.
I’ve had episodes large enough the tinnitus sound increase to the point it will make the room go deaf to me and I lose my entire balance, if in mid conversation my voice will break.
I have been around many large bangs, pops, and continuous loud noises from my time in the service.
I’m now a school administrator so I do not have many loud noises I’m exposed on any regular basis. I do however have multiple small episodes a day, usually close together. When I have a large episode following the small ones the only way to relieve the headache is usually through sleeping. It’s a head and base of the head neck style headache.
Certain high pitch tones do bother me. The louder the tone the more I’m apt to even cringe in response. Anything that is a high ringing tone will hurt my right ear.
I’ve noticed the small twitch or vibration in my ear even just sitting in a calm environment. If I’m in a very stressful situation I have also had them occur.
My blood pressure is 117/78 as of last Friday when checked regularly also. This was one of the first tests and at each visit it ranges from 115/77 to 120/81 at the highest.
They have tried an anti seizure medication that I’m taking mentioned earlier. It may have reduced the number of the smaller episodes but I don’t count them so I can’t be certain. I do feel the are less but the large ones still come 1x per week or 1x every two weeks. The small ones different times throughout the day.
If I hold my nose and blow to clear my ears, like leaving a pool, it triggers the right ear. Once I have one twitch or vibration it seems to come and go for a short period of time on and off. It’s loud enough and fast enough in my ear at times I would think someone could see my ear drum moving if that makes sense.
Could this be a result of my tinnitus noise exposure from years ago? Like I said, I can’t recall the first time because I’ve lived with it for years but the audiologist a little over a year ago heard about the symptoms when getting the hearing aids. She referred me to the ENT which set this in motion. Now that they are talking about cutting the tendons I started looking items up and found your site.
Thanks,
Rod
Hi Rod:
Did the eye twitching precede the ear vibrating? If so, I wonder if the TTTS is a reaction to the eye twitching. Sometimes when one nerve get irritated, other nearby nerves join in sympathetically so to speak.
Damaged ears, especially from noise, often are more sensitive to louder high-pitched sounds. And stress certainly can acerbate both TTTS and hyperacusis, so I’m not surprised that the fluttering gets worse when you are under more stress.
Actually, you can see your eardrum vibrating or dimpling if you look into the ear canal with an otoscope when it is vibrating.
I’m wondering whether your headaches, eye twitching and ear problems are all part of your upper vertebrae in your neck being out of proper alignment. The way to find out is to go to an upper cervical chiropractor and find out whether your atlas and axis vertebrae are in proper alignment or not.
These guys are a special kind of chiropractor that specializes in the upper cervical spine (UCS). They are able to work wonders for certain ailments and they are very gentle–not the bone cracker kind. They focus mostly on your top two vertebra (C1 (Atlas) & C2 (Axis). If this joint is “off” then you could have some of the symptoms you are experiencing such as the ear problems and headaches.
You can find a chiropractor specializing in UCS by going to the following URL and entering your location. You can also read about the things these special chiropractors can do for you at this same website. Here is the URL.
http://www.upcspine.com/
Choose the “Practitioners” link along the top to find the one closest to you.
I think that’s the first step I’d take if I were in your shoes.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil,
5 weeks ago I had a bad cold and my left ear would pop and crackle a lot. This stopped when my cold went.
2 weeks after, I started to get a fluttering / thumping sensation in my left ear. Exactly like a muscle going into spasm. Every other day, I get a short burst of ringing in my right ear.
When this started, I was on day 10 of taking the antibiotic Cephalexin. I had been taking this at a high dose (2g per day) for an unrelated condition.
I thought the antibiotic may have been causing the issue so stopped taking them after 15 days.
Unfortunately the problem has got worse.
The twitching is almost 24hrs a day now and I’m struggling to sleep.
I do not suffer from anxiety and I’m not stressed. Trying to keep calm about the ear but it’s obviously a struggle as it’s there all the time.
Could this be related to the antibiotic?
Hi Emma:
The crackling/popping was air trying to get through your clogged Eustachian tubes. When your ears drained, then that stopped.
I’ve not heard of Cephalexin causing fluttering/twitching/thumping such as you are experiencing. But it may be possible. Taking a high dose for a long time (2 weeks or more) increases the risk of all sorts of side effects occurring.
I find it interesting that you are not anxious nor stressed–because these are typically the things that bring TTTS on/keep it going.
Is your neck or jaw “tight” or painful?
Did you expose you ears to any sudden loud sounds in the week or so before this all began?
There could be other reasons besides the drug, but I can’t rule out the drug either.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for taking the time to reply.
This evening, my jaw is a little achey and I have a light headache. Could be an issue with my jaw?
I had no exposure to loud, sudden noises.
Many thanks,
Emma.
Hi Emma:
Headaches and jaw pain are consistent with your having TTTS. What I’d suggest is you go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor (not a conventional one) and see whether your C1 and C2 vertebrae are in proper alignment. That could be the basis of your problem.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
Ever since October I’ve had really weird ear symptoms that have gotten worse by the day (and as my anxiety has increased). Certain sounds coming through my left ear make my right ear “flutter” inside to the beat of the offending sound. It started with just my boss’s voice which was odd, but as time has gone on it has begun to happen with almost all sounds. It is unbearable and causes me extreme anxiety. I cry everyday. I have to wear earplugs just to get through the day. Recently, I have been unable to tolerate the frequency of phonecalls and it feels like my ears and opening and “vibrating” above my ears. I have also developed migraines and eye pain on the left side. My ENT said I had hyperacusis and did a CT of my ears that looked normal. I don’t know how to fix this! I have had multiple head injuries from horseback riding and whiplash injury in October 2019 from a rollercoaster. I’m desperate for any help! I’m worried I have a brain aneurysm or MS or something. But TTTS sounds really similar to symptoms. What do you think?
Hi Abby:
I think you do have TTTS. It doesn’t sound like anything wrong in your brain. What I think has happened is going back to last October when it first began–you had whiplash–and that is enough to start it.
What I’d do is go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor (not a conventional chiropractor) and have him check your neck out, particularly your top two vertebrae (C1 and C2). Once they are in proper alignment (and any other vertebrae that are out), I think your TTTS will begin to fade away–but you have to do your part too. First, get your anxiety under control. Second, don’t wear ear protectors more than you absolutely need to or you will make your TTTS–at least the hyperacusis component–worse.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for your response! Do you have any tips on finding a reputable upper cervical chiropractor? Some of the sites seem kind of like money grabs. I just don’t know what to look for.
Hi Abby:
I agree with you–some try to make you take a whole package that costs big bucks. I’d look for someone that will treat you on an as needed basis without locking you into an expensive package.
I heard of one Blair chiropractor that gave a person one treatment to correct one vertebra, then told her she needed to buy the whole package before she’d treat the other vertebra. That is just not right. I’d run from chiropractors like that.
Be aware that you will likely need several treatments until the new positions “hold”. But you don’t need a specific number of treatments. Some people need more and some less–a lot depends on how long your neck has been out and how badly it is out.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil,
Over the last year or so I’ve occasionally experienced a strong involuntary fluttering sensation which has only ever lasted a couple of minutes. It’s quite an intense experience and usually makes my eyes water too.
The last time it happened was a few weeks ago, I don’t have any anxiety about it other than perhaps about my ears generally being itchy and crackling which is just normal for me at this point. Also I have no physical trauma or injury to speak of but my neck does feel like it needs to click at the base of my skull on most days, sometimes several times a day.
I’ve had problems with my ear since early childhood and suffered a few ear infections over the years. My ears have a troublesome time while changing pressure (i.e diving into a pool, descending in a plane or even driving down a steep hill) and a few years back my doctor told me to occasionally ‘manually’ clear them by performing the valsalva manoeuvre which has since made a good difference… although they never feel truly clear it more just helps to relieve the pressure.
Does any of this sound like what other people have described as I’m not sure it is TTTS? Is the eye watering normal?
Thanks for your help!
Hi George:
From what you say, it seems like you do have TTTS to some degree or other. I can’t say that eye watering is normal, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it is associated with your TTTS. That’s just the way it is, depending what nerves are also affected.
Since your ears have been “bad” since childhood, and you have pressure problems, and your neck clicks, I’d suggest going to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and getting your upper neck checked out. It may be that you’ve had a very long-standing problem in your neck that caused your Eustachian tubes not to function properly and now is affecting the nerves that cause TTTS.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
I’ve read your article, I found it very interesting, and it helped me to consider that I could have TTTS.
Sorry in advance for my English, but I’m from France and it’s kind of hard to describe all the sensations i’m feeling in a foreign language.
Here’s my story :
I’m 24, and back in October 19, I’ve been assaulted in the street, and received a hard slap on my left ear. I could instantly feel that my ear was totally muffled and clogged, as well as an important distorted sound sensation whenever my friends were talking, and the typical post-trauma tinnitus. I knew something bad had happened.
The next day, I felt really bad, and even if it got better in the following days, it’s been 6 months now and here are the symptoms I’m still experiencing :
– Clogged ear, and a very frustrating feeling to not being able to pop my ear,
– I feel tension in my ear, it’s hard to explain but I feel like my muscles are tense in my left ear area, it also hurts a bit sometimes,
– I hear things clearly louder with my left ear
– Hard to explain, but instead of hearing a low frequency sound whenever I close my eyes very tight, I hear a high pitch frequency in my left ear, which I could compare to crickets sound,
– When I fit my left index finger in my left ear and I gently tap on my left arm with my right hand, I can hear the same high pitch sound at each tap, while when I’m doing the same with my right ear, it’s only a very low frequency “boom boom”,
– I still hear distortion whenever I’m experiencing very low/very high pitch loud sounds. Typically when I ride my motorbike and I’m in a tunnel with a bunch of other cars, or when a car passes me. It mainly occurs in rooms with a fair amount of reverberation. It doesn’t hurt at all but it feels very uncomfortable,
– Whenever I’m exposed to loud sound, my hearing seems to be even more muffled on that ear,
– I tend to have slight difficulties to understand ppl talking in crowded places.
– When my ear is clogged, I can hear a white noise kind of tinnitus.
– I DO NOT experience spasms or fluttering.
I’ve seen 1 ENT twice and he told my hearing was perfect.
I also saw an osteopath who tried to relax my ET by pulling my left ear cartilage, and I have to say that it helped. Indeed, after the first appointment, I felt like some liquid was draining from my ear down to my throat, and I felt better for a whole week, until it was clogged again. I saw him one more time and the same thing happened, I felt better for a week and then the ear was clogged again. Right after these appointments, I really felt a drip down in the back of the throat for some hours. Also, when I felt my ear getting unclogged, I felt an itchy sensation in my inner ear, it’s weird but it felt like my ET was opening again. I can also feel some air passing by as if it had been closed for a long period of time . I tried 3 different nasal sprays but nothing really worked on a long term.
My conclusion is that something is perhaps happening with my ET but also with my TT. I feel like something is affecting both of them. I’m also afraid that my inner ear could be affected considering these distortion sounds. It feels like these sounds come from a broken speaker …
I also doubt that the problem is related to my C1/C2 cervical as the osteopath checked my neck and that I didn’t really received hard hits apart from this slap.
All this obviously affects my mental health, and even if I have a positive personality, it’s hard to deal with this every day. Indeed, I think of it every single day from the morning to the end of the day. I declined a lot of my friends invitation to hang out and all cause I felt quite bad for these last 6 months.
My right ear is perfectly fine.
Thank you in advance for your answer Dr. Neil. I’m sure we all appreciate that you take time to read us and to give us answers.
Gilles
Hi Gilles:
Among other things, what you have suffered is acoustic shock disorder from the whack over your ear. That leads to a lot of different symptoms.
Obviously, you have some degree of Eustachian tube dysfunction now, and some degree of ear pain which can arise from some of the following conditions.
You hear things too loud in your left ear. This is called loudness hyperacusis. The high-pitched sound when you clench your teeth is a form of somatic (body) tinnitus. It is probably related to the fact that your muscles are tight around your face/ear. I think the same is true when you tap your arm with a finger in your ear.
Distorted hearing is also a common result of acoustic trauma. It is related to loudness hyperacusis where you perceive sounds as louder than normal.
The good news is that you do not have classic TTTS since you don’t have any fluttering or spasms. But the bad news is that I think the same muscles that can cause the spasms have got your Eustachian tube stuck closed.
Have you tried pulling on your outer ear like your osteopath did? That should be something you can do to relieve the pressure and get your ET working again. I don’t think you will hurt anything if you don’t pull any harder than he did. And you’ll feel better for a week.
For your mental health as well as you ear health, you need to stop worrying and thinking about your ear conditions. The more you dwell on them, the worse they can become, or won’t go away. These conditions are psychosomatic–so your mind/emotions affect your body.
Massage therapy on your face, neck and jaw on the left side along with learning to relax and control your anxiety should help you slowly get things back to normal. Just understanding what I think is going on in your ear should also help you relax and not worry so much about your ear.
Cordially,
Neil
I think I have this condition but it always seems to be triggered by certain noises, and it always happens only in my right ear. I have pretty bad tmj issues that I’ve tried massage therapy for but it got too expensive. My jaw always pops and clicks on my right side when I chew or open my mouth wide. So I bet the two things are related. I always seem to be triggered by low frequency noise. It doesn’t hurt when the twitching happens but it is very unpleasant. I wonder if there is a way to stop the spasms when a trigger noise happens. Sometimes it happens at work and I can’t avoid the noise. It always happens when the trash truck comes through my neighborhood and it drives me crazy!
Hi Mary:
You are correct in assuming there is a link between your TMJ and developing TTTS. In your case, it appears that your TTTS is secondary to your TMJ. So the obvious thing is to get your TMJ under control. Massage hasn’t worked well for you. You might need to go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and make sure your neck is in proper alignment before massage will be effective. If you were ever in a car accident and got whiplash of any degree, then this is the most likely cause and upper cervical chiropractic is the solution.
There are a number of things that could help you. One is to learn to relax and not be so anxious over the garbage truck for example. Two is to make sure your magnesium levels are “up there”. Many people are deficient in magnesium and that can result in muscle spasms. Three, I’ve already mentioned upper cervical chiropractic (see http://www.upcspine.com/prac2.asp?rid=4 to find one of these guys in the USA and Canada).
Also, here is a neat trick to stop the spasms. It works for numbers of people so it may work for you too. This is taken from my upcoming book “Hypersensitive to Sound” that I hope to have out later this year.
_____________
ZYGOMATIC HAND-PRESSURE THERAPY
A 2010 study revealed that zygomatic hand pressure is more effective at treating Middle Ear Myoclonus (which includes both TTTS and stapedial myoclonus) than the medications doctors typically prescribe. Therefore, you’d be wise to try this simple technique before resorting to taking drugs.
What is zygomatic hand pressure and how does it work? Here’s all you have to do. When you hear the initial burst of clicking or fluttering in your ear, loosely interlace the fingertips of both hands and place the heels of your hands over the sides of your zygomatic bones (your cheek bones).
To do this, if you wear glasses, you’ll have to take your glasses off as your fingers would otherwise be all over your glasses.
Apply a moderate amount of pressure using the heels of your hands for about 30 seconds. This is all it should take for the clicking/fluttering noises to subside.
While zygomatic hand pressure is not a cure, it is a simple and noninvasive technique that you can perform as soon as you hear the telltale clicking/fluttering noise of your middle ear muscles going into spasms.
_____________
Cordially,
Neil
I came across your article and it was like you wrote about me! I have had the roaring tinitis in my ears since childhood and I am very used to it. I am now 64 yo. Its worse when I am tired, in a quiet place, if my blood pressure is elevated, as well as if I am getting sick, or over tired, or take ASA. Over the last 4 years I have developed the fluttery fullness in my right ear. I can tolerate it during the day but nights are horrific. I can not lay flat or in a quiet room. I have been to doctors, chiropractors, ENTs. I have had the audiograms, the MRI, and I also had nasal surgery thinking to get some relief. Nothing. An suggestions for me from hear. Its affecting my daily living as well as my mental health and physical health. I get about 4 hours of sleep a night because the noise wakes me up. I also have a thyroid condition. So I have weight loss issues, I have lack of energy and my hearing in a crowd is fairly nonexistent. PLEASE any suggestions?
Hi Cathy:
You’ve told me some things about your situation, but there are still a lot of things I really want to know.
What caused your roaring tinnitus way back? Any ideas?
Did you have a hearing loss back then?
What changed in your life about 4 years ago before the fluttering feeling in your ear.
Are you on any medications, or were you on any 4 years ago?
How much ASA do you need to take to elevate your tinnitus?
Have you gone to an upper cervical chiropractor, or just a conventional one?
What does your audiogram show?–excellent hearing, better than normal, or a hearing loss or what?
Are you supersensitive to sounds or certain sounds?
Are you normally an anxious or high-strung person?
That’s probably enough questions for now, but feel free to add anything you think could be relevant.
Cordially,
Neil
Hey ,
I got my wisdom tooth removed 4 months ago and after that i have fluttering in my left ear
1)After i touch my ear or
2) I rub my ear pinna.
3) When kitchen utensils cling or fall
4)when i cough or sneeze.
5) after i forcefully blow air of my nose.
6)sometimes after i talk loud
->my hearing is normal.i can listen to music with earphones.
But this goes away when i pop my ear or i create a suction on my ear using my thumb.
My dentist told me it is not related to the extraction but i did not have any problem before the extraction.
I am so tensed and depressed.
Please reply..I need help.
Hi Surya:
Was this an upper wisdom tooth, or lower one? If an upper one, sometimes the trauma affects the ear on that side. From what you describe, I wouldn’t be surprised at all if that is the culprit. Your dentist obviously doesn’t know much about ears and all the things that can affect them.
Have your symptoms gotten better in the intervening 4 months, stayed the same, or gotten worse?
Being tense and depressed certainly aren’t helping resolve this issue.
Any nerves that were affected should have calmed down by now so something is keeping this going. Tell me more about this situation so I can try to figure out what you need to do.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for replying sir,
1) Both my left upper and left lower wisdom tooth was removed on the same day under local anesthesia.
2)I got paresthesia on my tounge (I was able to taste but some sensesation was lost)
I got back 90% of the sensation.
3)From what i feel it has been the same or slightly reduced by 1 or 2%.
I got a job but because of this i was not able to join.I went to depression because i was fit and fine before the extraction.
I told my doc that it is happening just after the removal but he keeps on denying.
Please help.
Thanks and regards.
Hi Surya:
I’m sure the damage was caused by the tooth extraction–whether your dentist admits it or not. But it may not have been his fault depending on a number of factors, but then again, it could be because he was too rough or whatever. There’s no way I can tell.
It is possible that your jaw is out of alignment now because of having to have your mouth open –maybe a bit too wide so it affected your temporomandibular joint or your neck vertebrae thus pinching the nerves that serve you inner ear and facial muscles.
But it is made worse from depression, anxiety and stress. So getting your anxiety and depression under control is a major factor in dealing with this.
Cordially,
Neil
Hey,
First of thanks a lot forhelping me out.
1)Yes my dentist gave a lot of pressure during extraction like i thought my jaw will rip apart.
2)Now I can open my jaw wide open without ant problem.
2)I have no problem with hearing.I can use earphones.Go out in noisy places without any problem.
3)But this thing distracts me often.Like if i suck air in through my nose force fully it cretes the fluttering.
4)Is there any medicine that can help me.
5)I have totally stopped listening to music and wear earplugs.
Thanks and Regards.
Hey,
I want to add somthing..
–>i consulted with an ent over the telephone and he gave me levofloxacin 500.
–>Luckily I read about ototoxicity from your website and I didnt take it.
–>Will you recomend me taking this drug.But i am not sure why he gave me antibiotics i dont have an infection.
Your advice matters a lot to me.
Thanks and Regards,
Surya
Hi Surya:
Doctors want to be seen as doing something so often they prescribe a drug “just in case”. In your case, just in case you have an infection. And that leaves you open to all the ototoxic (and other) side effects without any clear benefit.
Make your doctor justify why he is prescribing a given drug before you think of taking it. Then do your own “due diligence” and then make up your own mind.
Personally, I sure wouldn’t take a dangerous drug like Levofloxacin without a VERY good reason. And you don’t seem to have a good reason at this point.
Cordially,
Neil
Hey ,
Yes you are right I didnt take the drug because i was aware of it as i read about it in your website.
My condition slightly improved but not totally.
Can you please tell me what to do to cure it.
Yours faithfully ,
Surya
Hi Surya:
There is no specific treatment that gets rid of this fluttering sensation. However, there are things you can do. For example, anxiety and worry definitely make it worse. So anything you do to get your anxiety under control goes a long ways to causing this fluttering to go away.
First, reassurance really helps–when you know that it is not a sign of dreadful things going wrong in your head. It is a benign condition, so you don’t have to worry about it.
Second, practice relaxation. Learn to relax all the muscles in your body including the muscles in your head (and ears).
Third, learn how to reduce your anxiety. You may need counseling to help you do this.
Fourth, you might want to take magnesium supplements as muscles are prone to cramping if you are low in magnesium.
Fifth, learn to desensitize these muscles to sounds so they don’t over-react. You might want to try listening to sounds that cause this reaction–but at low volumes to get your ears used to them and then over the course of several weeks slowly increase the volume as your ears can stand it without going into spasms and fluttering.
But the key is to “hang loose” and not be tense, anxious, stressed and worried about this condition.
Cordially,
Neil
Hii Neil ,
Just to let you know it improved a lot in the last 5 days.I still have some noise like (kirrrrr) when I blow my nose but it not what it was before.
Hey I really need your help please help me.
My problem is whenever i touch my right ear or touch the area around my right ear like neck or ear i feel strong rumbling sound like that of when we yawn.
It goes away as soon as i stop touching.
Is this some thing serious.
Hi Reevu:
It’s not serious at all, even though it sure may seem like it is. You have a version of what is called somatosensory tinnitus. Somatosensory tinnitus is a good example of how your central nervous system (brain) integrates signals it receives from your auditory system as well as from non-auditory systems. This shows that there are connections between your auditory neurons and somatosensory neurons. The result is that an auditory symptom like tinnitus may be changed when these somatosensory neurons are activated.
You can think of it as some neurons in your brain multitasking and inadvertently sending touch signals to your auditory circuits so in addition to feeling the sensation, you hear it–in your case as a rumbling sound.
If it makes you feel better, up to 70% of the people with tinnitus can do something that affects how they hear their tinnitus. In your case, it is touching your ear or other nearby areas.
Cordially,
Neil
Hey Neil,
Just to let you know i dont have any tinnitus.I hear this only when i touch .When i am not touching my ears are 100 percent normal.
yours faithfully
Reevu
Hii Neil,
I got my left side wisdom teeth removed 3 months ago and after the inflamation subsided i got a fluttering like sensation after i touched my ear or after sneezing or blowing my nose.This happnes just momentarilynand goes away. But i i pop my ear this thing stops for 1-2 hours.Is this ttts? I am so stressed
Hi Mike:
I’d say it’s your version of TTTS. You need to calm down. That only makes it worse. It’s really nothing to worry about. Obviously the nerve that controls your tensor tympani muscle is stimulated when it shouldn’t be.
Has it gotten any less in the past three months or stayed the same?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor Bauman,
First of all thank you very much for having this blog, it is really very informative and really helps a lot
I have had tinnitus for many years, but it did not cause any trouble, it didn’t bother me at all.
For many years I enjoyed listening to loud music (headphones). I knew that listening to that high volume was not good but stupidly I did it because I enjoyed it so much.
Two years ago I noticed hearing loss on my left ear and I panicked, it cause me anxiety because I felt guilty. I thought I damaged my hearing and visited my ENT and yes, she confirmed a hearing loss (40db) at 4Khz on my left ear and nothing in my right ear.
She said not too worry, it was not big deal.
However a few days later I woke up one day with a strange vibration (fluttering) in my left ear and a feeling of intense pressure in both ears, besides my old tinnitus increased a lot, it was then intrusive….
I though my ears were severely damaged so I was afraid of sound.. although I could stand loud music, very strange…
After this, as you can imagine, the first months were horrible, didn’t sleep and could not function as person.
Now (two years later) It hasn’t improved at all, I have the same vibration, same intrusive tinnitus and same pressure although I manage the anxiety better than before. but yes, it still worries me because the vibration, the pressure and the tinnitues are intrusive and a painful in the ear
I don’t have the need of using earplugs even in loud environments, I can go to crowdy restaurants or even attend musical events, in fact, I’d say I feel better in noisy environments, but it is very strange, because when I’m in silence, I don’t like high pitch frequency sounds (alarms, dishes,..), they increases the fluttering, the tinnitus and the anxiety…
On the other hand, I don’t think I have problems with my neck or TMJ, but never know.
With all this I’d like to know your opinion
1) Is there hope after two years? there isn’t much success stories on the internet… What Can I do? I tried to not to worry too much as you always point in but it is too intrusive, it drives my attention and I end up with some anxiety…
2) In regard to sound sensitivy, do you think I have hyperacusys?, because If I have it I can try sound theraphy, but as I said, I can manage loud sounds or music
3) In regard to the subjective tinnitus: it seems that the tinnitus intrusiveness is higher if the presure and fluttering is high, It seems that somehow there is a relationship between vibration, pressure and subjective tinnitus, it seems the pressure and fluttering in the ear makes some pressure in some nerves of the ear and it is actually the cause of increasing the tinnitus.. Does it make sense to you?
As said in the beginning, thanks a lot
Hi Victor:
When you had your hearing tested 2 years ago, that 40 dB drop at 4 kHz is what we call a “noise notch” and is indicative that you have been damaging your hearing by exposing your ears to excessively loud sounds. You need to tone down the volume or you’ll have more hearing loss and more tinnitus. Your ears are trying to warn you.
You are not helping yourself by not wearing ear protectors when in noisy venues. You are damaging your ears whether it seems like it or not.
From what you say, I think you have some degree of tonic tensor tympani syndrome. But you also have some degree of loudness hyperacusis and also reactive tinnitus. Your tinnitus gets worse or reacts to louder sounds that cause the pressure/fluttering to increase.
You need to do two things. One, is protect your ears when in loud venues. You can’t expect your ears to get better when you keep on damaging them with the loud racket. (Just because you can “manage” loud sounds doesn’t mean it isn’t damaging your ears.) Two, you need to continue on a program of reducing your anxiety levels. You need to learn how to relax and calm down. Breathing exercises can often help there
Cordially,
Neil
1980 car accident broke a steel reinforced bakolite type steering wheel with my head on the left side. Seat belts were not a thing back then. so I got off lightly. Ive had permanent tinnitus. TTTS on and off since that day. MRI says my brain is ‘essentially normal’ Worse part for me when it is bad I cant talk louder than a whisper as it hurts my head and makes me feel off kilter.
Hi Gloria:
Ouch. Not the way to treat your head! Should have worn your seat belt. Seat belts have been around for a long time. Even my 1957 Volkswagen had seat belts. I suspect you just didn’t bother wearing them because it wasn’t “required”.
Head trauma can certainly result in tinnitus. Are you saying you have TTTS that comes and goes at times? What causes it to flare up–increased anxiety or what?
What is “it”–your tinnitus or your TTTS that hurts when you talk in louder than a whisper?
Have you ever been to an upper cervical chiropractor to see whether the whiplash permanently put your neck “out”. If not, you may find that your TTTS is related to a pinched nerve in your neck. If it were me, that is something I’d do and make sure my vertebrae are all in proper alignment.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor Bauman,
This blog is great and very informative. Having seen this page and reading about the symptoms of TTTS, I’ve been wondering whether I have this too.
For a while now, I’ve had a rumbling in my left ear which happens most nights as I lie in bed. I’ve raised it my GP but usually they say it’s tinnitus and not much can be done, although when I say it’s a rumbling/fluttering sound and not a ringing sound they’re usually surprised. They then check the eardrum etc and nothing seems amiss.
The very first time I experienced it, the rumble was very acute, and came on for no reason I can think of (I was merely sitting and watching TV). It was quite unpleasant and I felt myself tensing up which made it worse. It lasted on an off for a few days during which, if the rumbling had already started, I could make it worse by tensing the area. This was years ago and the issue now seems to happen only when I’m lying in bed (usually on my left side, but I’ve noticed it can happen in any position now). It’s not painful, but it is uncomfortable and affects my sleep. Again, if I sense it or anticipate it, it seems to make it worse. It’s difficult to describe but it feels like it’s brought on by tension (like when you stretch and you can hear the tensing as you do a deep stretch). Sometimes the anticipation itself can make it happen, whereby I will then also feel something like tension in the ear.
In terms of trauma to the ear the only thing I can think of is how, throughout my childhood, I had a ball of hardened wax rolling around in my left ear. It was the size of a small pea and rock solid. It would move around, and when it did it was noisy, sometimes painful and a bit alarming, so it was a relief when one day by chance it fell out.
I also wonder if the rumbling is connected to neck tension. I have bad posture (my neck often leans forward as I hunch over) and I’m prone to tension headaches.
It would be great to hear your opinion, as this has been bothering me for a while! Also, if you think a chiropractor might be able to help I will give it a try.
Thanks!
Hi Julie:
There are at least three reasons for that rumbling sensation. I get it too from time to time. One is tiredness. If you are extremely tired you may experience this kind of loud rumbling/roaring tinnitus. That kind goes away as soon as you have enough sleep.
A second kind is associated with what I call Musical Ear Syndrome. You “hear” the rumbling and at the same time you feel vibrations consistent with the kind of rumbling you hear. For example, if I hear a low rumbling sound that sound like a bulldozer or other heavy piece of equipment working nearby, I can feel my house shaking (vibrating) although both sensations are totally phantom. I can hear my motor running and the can slightly vibrating if I am waiting in the car for my wife–yet the motor is off and the key is in my hand, not even in the ignition. And the funny thing is that I am so deaf I can’t hear my motor running anyway.
A third kind of rumbling sensation can be due to your upper spine being out of proper alignment. This is probably the cause of your rumbling sensation.
So if you go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor (not the conventional kind) and get them to particularly check that your C1 and C2 vertebrae are in proper alignment, this may be all you need to do. You can find one of these special chiropractors by clicking the “Practitioners” tab at http://www.upcspine.com/ .
Since anxiety and tension tighten your muscles and they in turn, pull on your vertebrae, you find that this rumbling sensation is worse when you are not calm and relaxed.
Therefore, chiropractic treatment can get your vertebrae into proper alignment, but you need to reduce your anxiety and tension so your muscles don’t pull them “out” again.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for replying.
It is strange that there are times I have it every night and then it sends to go away for a while before it’s back again. I think it could be tiredness but, as you say, most likely a spinal issue. I’ll look into it!
Hello, I have a whooshing sound when my husband is talking and during other sounds. It comes after the sound ends, most often. I can also activate the whooshing by putting my finger in my ear and pulling it out or even stroking the side of my face causes it to occur. It is mostly in one ear but can occur in both. Sometimes stroking the left side of my face will make it occur in the right. I notice that the sound occurs when I am sleeping too and I am awoken by the frequent activation of the sound. I went to an ent and she said there was nothing structurally wrong. I stopped taking tegretol (which I took for neuralgia) before this started, as I did not like the side effects. I have multiple Sclerosis and have a lesion at c2. I have always been able to activate my tensor tympani muscle easily by closing by eyes in a certain way. Any help with this would be much appreciated.
Hi CL:
What you are experiencing sounds like one of the somatosensory nerves that can transmit signals from various sense organs, primarily touch (tactile) is sending signals to your brain like it’s supposed to, but multitasking neurons in your brain are sending these tactile signals to the auditory circuits in your brain where you hear them as sounds rather than where they are supposed to go so that you would feel them as touch. Or maybe it is sending them to both places so you both here it and feel it at the same time.
I think this is also the reason why you can activate your tensor timpani muscle by closing your eyes.
Now you know what is happening and sort of understand why it is happening. The problem now is how to stop it from happening. since many people with somatosensory tinnitus have tight or inflamed muscles in their head and neck area, reducing the inflammation and tension in these muscles helps in a lot of cases. Specifically there are three treatments that work to some extent. These include massage therapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture.
You mentioned that you have a lesion at your C2 vertebra. if your C1 and C2 vertebrae are out of proper alignment this puts pressure on your auditory nerve and can result in various kinds of ear problems. One solution is to see an upper cervical chiropractor, not a conventional chiropractor, and make sure everything is properly aligned. Once that is done, you may find that massage therapy to reduce the tension in shoulder and neck muscles helps. Acupuncture does much the same as massage therapy but in a different way.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for your response! This is very helpful!
Hi ive had an acoustic shock 2 years ago . Dont have tinnitus or hearing loss, mri was okay but here and then i have like a tight feeling in my ears and also around the ears. I already went to a lot of chiropracters. Is thus ttts ? What can i do about the tight feeling? Its like a heavy tight feeling
Hi Mia:
When you have the acoustic shot two years ago what symptoms did you have? Did you have this tight feeling it around your ears at that time? I’m curious why you think that the tight feeling is related to either the acoustic shock or to TTTS, and not to some other factor.
The tight feeling by itself is not TTTS, but it’s possible they could accompany TTTS in some cases. normally, with TTTS you would expect to feel your eardrum vibrating or a sensation of movement near your eardrum.
Cordially,
Neil
Yes i ve had an acoustic shock due to fireworks…. ive had an abnormal pressure that time and everything felt uptight in my face and around my ears… the feeling is already better but sometimes comes back (without reason) its like a pulling and tight sensation in and around the ears. Thats why i think its ttts because my left ear sometimes pops without reason… did mri and hearing test and everything fine. Greetz
Hi Dr Neal. I’m not 100% sure I have TTTS but what I am experiencing is an abrasive buzzing noise that sounds like my left ear is distorting similar to a guitar amplifier. This noise only occurs as a reaction to moderately loud noises (think high-pitched dog bark) and unfortunately sometimes when I talk excitedly. One thing that seems to influence the situation to make it worse is if I try to talk with an earplug in my left ear or if I have an earplug that doesn’t fit well. This has been happening for about 4 years now, and when I first started noticing it happening, I was able to determine that my left ear was stronger than my right, even though it was the one with the issue. The way I tested this was by using headphones and listening to monophonic sounds. These sounds would be heard by my ears as coming slightly from the left as opposed to down the middle. I had to use this test because visits to the Audiologist would report perfectly normal hearing (even though those tests typically have a measurement difference of around 5 dB in both ears, which would be a noticeable difference if true). After 4 years of dealing with the buzzing in my left ear, I am now noticing that my right ear has become the stronger. The same headphones test with monophonic material shows sounds as coming from slightly the right. My obvious concern here is that the buzzing/possible TTTS in my left ear has caused me to experience slight hearing loss which has skewed my hearing to the right side. Is this possible with TTTS? I really want to make sure that I can prevent my condition from worsening, since at this rate, it won’t be long before I have significant hearing loss in my left ear. Unfortunately countless trips to various audiologists has left me with no answers. Can I be confident that the buzzing is damaging my hearing or is that a wrongful assumption? If it is damaging, should I try to actively avoid it occurring?
Hi Cameron:
Rather than having TTTS, I think you are experiencing reactive tinnitus, specifically a reactive distortion type of reactive tinnitus.
I’m curious why you are wearing earplugs in the first place. Is the noise level around you that loud that you need them? Wearing them unnecessarily can cause all sorts of problems, and make some conditions worse, especially when you have reactive tinnitus which is a combination of tinnitus and hyperacusis.
Audiologists consider any hearing down to 25 dB as normal, but “perfect” hearing would be at 0 dB. And 5 dB difference is just considered within the limits of testing error.
Tinnitus (buzzing is one of the many tinnitus sounds) cannot cause hearing loss. It’s the other way around–hearing loss can result in tinnitus. Of course, you can have tinnitus without hearing loss too (or at least noticeable hearing loss).
What is your “ear” history. Have you exposed your ears to loud sounds/music in the past without adequate ear protection?
Cordially,
Neil
The reason I wear the earplugs is because I live in a house with 4 dogs that can sometimes bark uncontrollably. For this reason I have to wear them overnight as I am unable to react and cover my left ear in time before they start barking to the point where my ear starts reacting with the awful buzzing sensation. If I were confident that this sensation was not causing hearing loss, I wouldn’t be so worried about it and could stop wearing them. But how else can you explain the gradual tendency of hearing monophonic sounds as louder in my left ear transitioning to my right ear after all this time dealing with it? Honest question. I suppose it could’ve been a single incident that damaged my left ear at some point in the past considering the fact that I have been to a fair amount of concerts. As far as my “ear history” goes beyond that, it’s actually pretty interesting. For as long as I can remember, whenever I would yawn, I would notice that things around me became louder, and that I could “hear inside my head” to a degree. Not knowing that this was a common sensation experienced while yawning, I use to always sniff in very forcefully using my nose in order to rebalance my ears to how they were before the yawn. It was about 4 years ago that I noticed that this “sniffing in” I was doing was making everything around me quieter, and so I stopped doing it. I then noticed over the next few days that everything was much louder to my ear. Things like starting my car and hearing the engine were uncomfortable for a while. I had a hearing test following this incident and my hearing threshold dropped down 10 dB, so my hearing was definitely “better” in a way. Unfortunately this is also when all my problems, namely the reactive buzzing and some issues with my eustachian tubes began. It was also the moment when I noticed monophonic sounds as appearing at “11 o clock” in the stereo field as opposed to down the middle at “12 o clock”, if you get my visualization. Now I am hearing the same monophonic sounds at “1 o’clock”, suggesting that some damage has occurred in my left ear. As a music producer and music software engineer, I am very sensitive to the stereo field and notice things like this to the point of it causing me a lot of anxiety. Is there any way I can at least be reassured that the damage to my left ear can’t be worsened by this buzzing sensation? Thank you for your help by the way.
One more thought: is it not possible that this buzzing sensation can be causing damage to the cochlea or cochlear nerve? The sensation matches up with the description of issue both with the tensor tympani and the stapedius (reacting to loud sounds as means of protection, lower threshold to impeding noises, worsened by stress), and so I would imagine that is more likely an issue with these parts of my ear rather than tinnitus. I frequently experience short periods of “pitched tinnitus” where I can hear a high-frequency tone in my ear. The buzzing sensation I am describing is very much physical in the sense that I can feel something vibrating in my ear. Does this clear things up for you?
Hi Cameron:
The buzzing sound is tinnitus and tinnitus does not cause hearing loss. Therefore, you do not have to worry about hearing loss from that cause.
Wearing ear protectors when you sleep is a bad, bad idea. I hope you don’t have your dogs in the bedroom with you when you’re trying to sleep. All that barking can make hyperacusis worse. At the very least keep the door shut so they can get in or have them at some other part of the house at night so the barking is not too loud and won’t exacerbate your hyperacusis.
When you yawn, your Eustachian tube momentarily opens and equalizes the air pressure between your middle ear and the outside air.this allows your eardrum to more closely touch the hammer so you are more sensitive to sound. When there is a difference in air pressure, your eardrum is bulged out away from the hammer a bit so you have in effect a small degree of hearing loss. That is why things sound louder right after you Jan your hammer and eardrum have the optimal contact.
The buzzing sensation cannot cause hearing loss, but it sure can be annoying.
This buzzing sensation is not going to damage your cochlea or your cochlear nerve.
Since your buzzing sensation is “physical” because you can feel a vibration, then you must have tonic tensor timpani syndrome (TTTS). TTTS does not cause hearing loss either, but as I said, it can be very annoying.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for the info. Can you explain exactly what is so bad about wearing an earplug at night? I may not be able to avoid the noise from my dogs unfortunately.
Hi Cameron:
Your brain expects a constant average level of sound all the time. When you wear your protectors, that average sound level drops. When that happens your brain turns up its internal gain to bring things back to the average level it expects. Thus, when you take the earplugs out, all sounds are now to loud. Essentially now you have just given yourself loudness hyperacusis and this is not what you want. now your dog’s parking will be even louder and more intrusive.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Bauman,
I have had multiple whiplash injuries, concussions, diagnosed with ptsd and anxiety disorder. Most of this is pre 2000. I moved to AZ in 2001 and developed sinus problems. In 2005 I moved to Southern AZ .Everything got worse there. My sinuses have gotten worse every year. In 2015 my sinuses kicked into overdrive. Every time I eat something my nose runs. It does not matter the temp or the spiciness of the food. The mucus ranges from clear to black and everthing in between. I think the black is just dried blood but I don’t know what the white means. My eardrums vibrate when I burp, sneeze,and cough. Sometimes they vibrate for no reason. Sometimes I feel like I’m under water listening to people above water. Sometimes I hear a buzz, I would not call it ringing though. I have also fallen more in the past five years than the previous 43 years of my life. I went through extensive allergy testing and was diagnosed with non-allergic sinus rhinitis. I have 5 or more sinus infections a year. I have constant nausea and occasional dizziness. I have tried rx and otc meds with no luck. I was told tubes may or may not help. We went to NM for vacation a few years ago and I felt a 100% better. We went to WA last year and again felt 100% better. I seem to only have the problem in AZ. unfortunately moving is not currently an option. Do you have any solutions, advice, or options that may help?
Hi Leah:
The fact that you’ve had multiple whiplash injuries and concussions in the past indicates to me that your upper two vertebrae in your neck your C1 and C2 are very likely out of proper alignment. When this happens you can have all sorts of hearing and balance problems.
The solution to this is to go to an upper cervical chiropractor (not a conventional chiropractor) and have him make sure your neck vertebrae are in proper alignment. Doing this cannot only get your ears and balance working properly but may also fix your sinus problems as well.
To find an upper cervical chiropractor go to http://www.upcspine.com/ and click on the “practitioners” tab and find one close to you.
Your eardrums vibrating is called tonic tensor timpani syndrome (TTTS). The underwater hearing sensation is due to your Eustachian tubes not working properly. This is related to TTTS and may be because your C1 and C2 vertebrae are out of proper alignment.
If I were you, the first step I take would be to see an upper cervical chiropractor and make sure that my C1 and C2 (and the other cervical) vertebrae are all in proper alignment. Unfortunately, when your C1 and C2 go out of proper alignment (and have been that way for number of years like it may be in your case with the various previous whiplashes you’ve experienced, when the chiropractor correctly aligns these vertebrae, they may quickly “fall out” of alignment and go back to their old positions. Thus you probably will need to go back to the chiropractor several times until your vertebrae learn to hold their correct positions.
When everything is okay, see what symptoms you still have if any. Hopefully a lot of your symptoms will have disappeared. If you still have some, contact me again and we can consider what the next step in getting rid of your symptoms should be.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Bauman,
Thank you very much for the info. After reading your reply I contacted a chiropractor from the link you sent me. I have an appointment next week (earliest available). I am well aware that this is not an overnight fix, rest assured I will not give up after 1 treatment. I will keep you in mind if like you said this works on some symptoms but not all.
Thank you again.
Leah
hello Dr., I stumbled across your article and am wondering if TTTS may be my issue. I am experiencing random, sometimes rapid thumping on my ear drum. It’s just in my right ear. It’s not in sync with my heartbeat, but will slow, speed up. My PC said I probably have TMJ and prescribed Voltaren as a topical. It’s done nothing. I am planning on going to a specialist, but after reading your article, I may have TTTS. I do not get the “full” feeling, nor do I get imbalanced or ringing. Just the annoying thumping. I am able to sleep at night, but once I wake up, it’s there. It’s been going on for 5 days straight with little breaks in-between where no thumping for a couple of hours. No pain, but it is absolutely maddening. I just want it to stop.
Hi Travis:
It sounds like you have a form of TTTS. Are you low in magnesium? This may be one reason for this. Stress and anxiety in general can also cause it. So could a hair or anything touching your eardrum. What was going on in your life just before this began? That could give a clue as to the cause, which, in turn, gives a clue as to what treatment will stop it.
How is it going now as I am way behind in answering comments?
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Neil,
I hope you are doing well.
I would like your opinion on what has been happening to me for the past 9 months. Indeed, one day sitting in my office chair, I realized that my right ear was vibrating for no reason. For a month and a half, I found myself with this vibration until I realized that I had to do something about it because it bothered me a lot to concentrate. I went to a chiropractor because I had been lucky enough to see the answers to the people you were responding to. The chiropractor that I saw is not an upper, because in France, there is none, at least not that I know of. He managed to remove the rumbling/fluttering that was triggering itself.
However, another rumbling remained, the one when I swallow and yawn, and for the last few months it’s been on my two ears. I feel helpless, I’m so sad because I can’t find a solution. It’s a feeling but also a noise. I’m investigating the TMJ track, but I wanted to know if there was anything else I could rely on. Do you have any advice?
Best,
Mo
Hi Mo:
I wouldn’t be surprised if the rumbling sensation you have left is also due to your neck not being aligned properly. Perhaps if you try a different chiropractor, he would be able to eliminate it. Obviously the one you went to was able to help you get rid of the one sensation, but maybe doesn’t know how to get rid of the second one. I think that is what I’d do. If it works, great. If not, then we’ll have to come up with something else.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. Neil,
I have a question about TTTS.
Since the end of February I hear a constant rumbling/ticking sound in my left ear. I have no other symptoms of TTTS.
The ticking sometimes dissapears for a few days and once for a week. It doesnt get worse from sounds, it is not caused by soundtrauma and I can hear fine with the left ear.
Chewing or tension on the jawmuscles makes the ticking worse/quicker.
I had a mild form of corona in december. I didnt smell or taste anything for a long time and the smell and taste are still not completely back.
The last few months I did have a lot of stress and tension in my shouders, jaw and neck. I also clench my teeth during my sleep.
Do you think this could be TTTS and if not, what else could this be?
And what is your advice for treatment?
Thank you very much for your answer.
Kind regards,
Robin
Hi Robin:
From what you describe, I think you do have TTTS, largely caused, I think, by TMD–your jaw being out of proper alignment causing teeth clenching, etc. And in turn, the TMD likely stems from the same source as your head, shoulders and neck being “tight” indicating that the vertebrae in your neck are not in proper alignment. So the various symptoms are all tied together.
If I were in your shoes, I’d go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor first to make sure my C1 and C2 vertebrae are in proper alignment as these being “out” can throw off all the other vertebrae too. You may find that this is all you need to let your symptoms fade away. You can find one of these special chiropractors by going to http://www.upcspine.com/ and clicking on the “Practitioners” button along the top of the webpage.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Neil,
Thank you very much for your quick answer, I am going to look for an upper cervical spine chiropractor. I live in the Netherlands, so I hope I can find one.
I forgot to mention one thing. When I open my jaw, the tikking is completely gone. Is this normal in the situation I described?
Regards,
Robin
One more question. Could you advice me a chiropractor in the Netherlands? On the site the only one nearby is in Belgium.
Kind regards,
Robin
Hi Robin:
I don’t know of any in the Netherlands, nor whether there is a listing somewhere that might help you find one there. However, you can ask around. It may be that there is a good chiropractor that knows something about properly and precisely aligning your C1 and C2.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Robin:
I’m not sure you have any upper cervical chiropractors in the Netherlands. I know there is one in Germany and one in England.
If opening your jaw takes the pressure off whatever is being “pinched” then that would be normal. I’m not sure there is any “normal” in all the things related to TTTS. Everyone is so different.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Neil,
Firstly, thank you so much for taking the time to answer all these questions/comments from all the desperate people out there looking for answers.
41 days ago I suffered severe sudden hearing loss in my right ear and now have life changing, very loud tinnitus in that ear. I am struggling to cope with it but I am trying to learn how to habituate.
My ENT says a virus caused the loss (possibly Meniere’s). My Audiologist also thinks it is Meniere’s due to the classic low frequency hearing loss pattern but I am not convinced as I only feel a slight dizzy swaying feeling with mild nausea, no episodes of violent room spinning and my hearing loss and aural fullness is constant since onset. (I receive a hearing aid soon to see if it helps).
Since this event though, I have also felt all of the symptoms mentioned in your article in both ears (hyperacusis, random spasms thumping and fluttering and now, slight aural fulness in my “good ear”). I have been checked for hearing loss and pressure in my good ear and it seems fine but when I mention “muscle spasms” to my ENT and audiologist they look at me like I’m crazy. I am terrified of losing the hearing in my good ear as well. Do you think it could be TTTS due to the stress and anxiety of the extreme tinnitus and SHL in my right ear? I have not had acoustic shock nor is it pulsatile. It mostly happens at night when I toss from side to side, or yawn and when I hear a loud noise (like plates clanging together).
Many Thanks.
Hi Toni:
Did you have any active virus in your body in the two weeks prior to your hearing loss? If so, I’d agree with your doctor that the likely culprit is a virus.
As for Meniere’s, I’d tend to agree with you that it is unlikely it is Meniere’s. However, be aware that you don’t need to have full-blown classical Meniere’s. You can have cochlear hydrops instead. So that is a possibility. If you want to understand more about Meniere’s and these other forms of it, read my comprehensive article on the subject at https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/atlas-adjustments-alleviate-menieres-disease/ and see whether you think anything I mention applies to you.
Your tinnitus is probably the result of the hearing loss. Since certain body movements make it worse like yawning, tossing, etc. I tend to think you have TTTS caused by stress AND some misalignment in your jaw joint or cervical vertebrae. That article on Meniere’s I mentioned goes into detail about such cervical misalignments and this could be the underlying problem. So read between the lines for TTTS while you are reading “on the lines” for Meniere’s.
Then let me know what you think.
Cordially,
Neil
I started getting a fullness in my ear in January 2020, it then moves to a thumping then disappears. ENT had no clue and said hearing was fine. It came back in November 2020 so I went to my dentist and they ordered a night guard. This helped after about a week. This recently css as me back 2 weeks ago and is now on the thumping stage. I’ve cut out processed foods, sodium, alcohol and lost 40 lbs since this started in early 2020. Any ideas? Much thanks!
Hi John:
What happened back in January 2020 to cause the ear fullness? What was different? Were you particularly anxious or under stress? And what reoccurred in November that brought it back? Any ideas?
Is your bite out of whack so you needed the mouth guard? If you have temporomandibular joint problems that could cause TTTS as well.
You’d do well to read chapter 18 and pages 409 to 431 which is the section dealing with TTTS in my new book “Hypersensitive to Sound?” See if any of the things I cover ring a bell with you. You can get this book at https://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/hypersensitive-to-sound/ .
Once you know the underlying cause of your TTTS, it helps suggest the best treatment for this condition.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks so much for this information Dr Neil.
(No, I didn’t have a virus 2 weeks prior to the loss but I have had shingles in the past).
Kind Regards
Since October of 2020, I’ve been experiencing a random thumping in my left ear. It comes out of nowhere and last for hours on and off. It will be like “thump” and a few seconds later another “thump thump”. It’s really annoying because not only can I hear it, I can feel the flutter too! There is no pattern, just happens sporadically. These episodes happen atleast once a week with normal “thump free” days in between. I cannot pinpoint what triggers it. I do suffer from health anxiety and have for years but this ear issue is relatively new. I also notice clicking sounds in my left ear after I finish talking sometimes and when I hear certain sounds, like turning the faucet on and off for example or any clanking sounds. Like I mentioned before, I do have health anxiety and worry this is something serious like an aneurysm, tumor or heart issue. I’m a 34 year old female and weigh 114 lbs and hoping that I’m healthy. Do my symptoms sound like TTTS?
Hi Lauren:
Yes, your symptoms do sound like TTTS. You didn’t specifically mention whether the thumping is in unison with your heart beat. In that case it would be pulsatile tinnitus–but you wouldn’t be feeling a fluttering sensation. That is why I think it is TTTS.
Since TTTS is a psychosomatic condition, much of what keeps it occurring is your anxiety. Learn to calm yourself down and this should become less and less frequent until it just disappears. But it could come back if your anxiety gets out of control again.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil – this information is very useful and getting me closer to figuring out what is going on with my ears. I am desperate for help (the first ENT didn’t hear a word I said.. how ironic.. and the 2nd one I’m going to is booked 3 months out so I’m looking forward to that). Anyway – a little over a year ago I started to have pain in my neck and jaw which I believed to be TMJD from stress. I went through the normal steps to treat that including night guard and chiropractor but it was not getting better and x-rays showed that my joint was perfectly aligned and that the pain and clicking was coming from my ears. I wake up feeling fine with minimal pressure in my ears. As the day goes on the pressure builds and builds and it makes the whole side of my face and neck hurt – it is usually worse on one side over the other depending on the day with the right side being the more severe. The pain is annoying but not excruciating – its like a dull ache. I’m always pushing on some part of my face or neck or right behind my ear and stretching my face. People have brought it up to me multiple times at work – it’s embarrassing. I am constantly flexing a muscle in my neck or maybe my soft palate all day long – I would say 5 – 10 times per minute. I can stop doing if I think very hard about not doing so I’m not sure its considered a “spasm” but the second I don’t focus on it – it starts up again. I believe it is the same muscle flexed to swallow? I have done it in the mirror with my mouth open to see what the heck is going on and it looks as if my soft palace is moving up and down. When I do it my ears crackle – the normal rice crispy sound everyone talks about. The newest addition to these fun symptoms is this grainy burst on the right side of my face and then a salty taste in my mouth. It happens when I am applying pressure on my right ear – usually pushing on the tragus and then I stretch my jaw. It’s this extremely loud cracking burst that sounds grainy – it is not a pop. The grainy sound and grainy feeling last for a 5 – 10 seconds after. I also get a salty foamy drainage in the back of my mouth. I’ve even spit it out to see if it had a color or substance but it just looks clear. This bursting thing is new – it only started about 3 weeks ago. It was only occasionally – maybe once every few days but now its almost daily and 2 days ago it happened 3 times in one day. Something felt damaged and sore the next day so I’ve been trying to stop the urge to do it even though it provides tremendous relief for hours after. I notice I don’t do the soft palate muscle flex for hours after either. Anyway – any insight or direction is so appreciated. Thank you for what you are doing.
Hi Cam:
Stress can certainly cause a bunch of physical problems, especially in your neck and things connected to it. This is because stress tightens your muscles so you have muscle pain. Furthermore, when muscles in your neck area are chronically tight, they can pull your vertebrae out of proper alignment. This just exacerbates the situation. Not only that, but when your vertebrae are not in proper alignment, various nerves get “pinched”. When this happens, messages to and from your brain don’t reach the body parts they are supposed to, so there are “malfunctions” there.
When your neck vertebrae are out of proper alignment, that can affect your ears and areas around your ears as has been happening to you.
One reason why your ear pressure builds up as the day goes on is that when you lay down to sleep, your body relaxes so your vertebrae can partially align themselves properly and thus take the pressure off the nerves that control your ears and areas around them. Thus the pressure feeling goes away overnight–but it comes back when you get up and the weight of your head puts pressure on these nerves again. So it becomes a vicious cycle.
If I were in your shoes, the first thing I’d do is head for a special kind of chiropractor (not a conventional one) that specializes in the upper cervical spine (UCS). These people are able to work wonders for certain ailments and they are very gentle–not the bone cracker kind. They focus mostly on your top two vertebra (C1 (Atlas) & C2 (Axis). If this joint is “off” then you could have some of the symptoms you are experiencing such as the ear problems and neck pain.
You can find a chiropractor specializing in UCS by going to the following URL and entering your location. You can also read about the things these special chiropractors can do for you at this same website. Here is the URL.
http://www.upcspine.com/
Choose the “Practitioners” link along the top to find the one closest to you.
At the same time, you might find it profitable to also see a massage therapist to get them to relax the muscles in your head and neck and shoulders so they don’t continue to tighten up and pull your vertebrae out again.
You also need to stop all the special muscle flexing, etc. that you are doing which may be just making things worse. The chiropractor and massage therapist should be able to help you stop doing this, or give you good exercises to do in place of them.
Also, you want to learn how to relax your whole body and to deal with your stress properly. There are websites that teach you how to relax. Breathing exercises are very good in this regard.
I think doing all the above will make a very big difference. Then, if you have any residual ear problems, see your ENT or contact me again.
Cordially,
Neil
About two months ago, I’ve started to hear a rumbling sound / like eardrum is vibrating but only on my right ear.
The sound comes in response to noises above ~70 db and it only lasts for about 1-2 seconds max.
The same thing happens after I have a big yawn or after I talk (this is is the most annoying).
However, the response sound (tinnitus maybe?) is below 40db, so I can only notice it in quiet places but it’s annoying.
I’ve already done an MRI and went to an ENT doctor but so far I have no leads. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thank you!
Hi Andrew:
From the little you’ve said, I suspect you have Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome (TTTS). This is where your eardrum goes into spasms which you experience as a vibrating or fluttering experience.
I’m curious what happened about 2 months ago just before this TTTS began? What was different that might have caused it? Any ideas? It could have been a sudden loud sound that startled you? High level of anxiety? Developed loudness hyperacusis and/or tinnitus?
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for the information Dr. Neil.
I think I had a high level of anxiety 2 months ago.. and then continued to do so by searching for a treatment / proper diagnostic without success.
Don’t have any other symptoms, my hearing is fine, there’s no constant tinnitus and I don’t feel sensitive to any sounds (pain or intolerance).
But it’s becoming quite annoying to hear that tinnitus like sound (vibration) after talking a little bit louder for example.
Sure, the condition remains the same, the surrounding sound needs to be quite low (<=40 db) otherwise I simply cannot perceives it.
Is there a good treatment for this kind of TTTS ?
Thanks again,
Andrew
Hi Andrew:
Since TTTS is psychosomatic, dealing with your anxiety is probably the best treatment. When your anxiety level goes way down, you should find that the TTTS just disappears.
You might also want to check your blood magnesium levels. If you are low in magnesium, this could cause your TTTS.
And here is a little trick to make it go away temporarily. Its called Zygomatic hand-pressure therapy. This is taken from page 429 in my book, “Hypersensitive to Sound?”.
__________________
ZYGOMATIC HAND-PRESSURE THERAPY
A 2010 study revealed that zygomatic hand pressure is more effective at treating Middle Ear Myoclonus (which includes both TTTS and stapedial myoclonus) than the medications doctors typically prescribe. Therefore, you’d be wise to try this simple technique before resorting to taking drugs.
How does zygomatic hand pressure work? Here’s all you have to do. When you hear the initial burst of clicking or fluttering in your ear, loosely interlace the fingertips of both hands and place the heels of your hands over the sides of your zygomatic bones (your cheek bones).
To do this, if you wear glasses, you’ll have to take your glasses off as your fingers would otherwise be all over your glasses.
Apply a moderate amount of pressure using the heels of your hands for about 30 seconds. This is all it should take for the clicking/fluttering noises to subside.
While zygomatic hand pressure is not a cure, it is a simple and noninvasive technique that you can perform as soon as you hear the telltale clicking/fluttering noise of your middle ear muscles going into spasms.
_________________________
Cordially,
Neil
Is there a visual for the zygomatic hand pressure technique?
I get my right ear rumbling all the time and it is related to a lot of stress
It only stops when I start talking loudly
Hi Slik:
I’ve never found a visual for the zygomatic hand pressure technique. I had to experiment myself to try to figure out how to do it.
Rumbling tinnitus can be from TTTS and certainly that is a result of too much stress and anxiety. So you want to get your stress/anxiety under control so your TTTS will fade away.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr.Neil,
Thank you for publishing this very informative article on TTTS.
In regards to “Fluttering sensation” …What does this typically sound/feel like? Does it include a thumping/pulsating sensation?
I suddenly woke up the other week with a sharp pain in my ear and could hear a thumping noise. This only lasted a few seconds and went away.
Over the next few days, I had a few bursts of this thumping noise, along with a physical sensation of the thumping – lasting 3-5 seconds max. My ear had a dull ache.
I am now getting these bursts of thumping happening for over 9 hours straight. So thumping and the physical sensation of thumping lasting 3-5 seconds, then coming back again roughly every 30 seconds to 2 minutes. The thumping noise isn’t really the issue – it’s this horrible thumping feeling that feels like my eardrum is being thumped on that affects me the most.
Sound doesn’t set this off. It seems to get “activated” after lying down for a long period of time (sleeping). For example, it usually starts up at 4am, then lasts until 12pm in the afternoon.
I have no idea if this is TTTS or pulsatile tinnitus. I’ve had my ears checked out and they are apparently A-OK.
I managed to record the sound of the thumping/pulsating with my iPhone. The thumping/pulsating isn’t the exact same beat as my heart pulse, but the sound I hear does have a consistent rhythm of thumps.
Is TTTS able to be heard externally?
Hi Jesse:
What you are experiencing is almost certainly Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome (TTTS). It is not pulsatile tinnitus for two reasons. First, you say it is not exactly in time with your heart beat. Second, you have ear pain which often accompanies TTTS, but not pulsatile tinnitus.
TTTS can indeed sound/feel like a thumping sound/sensation and you could also characterize it as a somewhat pulsating/fluttering/spasming sensation as well. Different people can have somewhat different experiences with TTTS.
Basically TTTS is often caused by mental stress. In fact, TTTS is a psychosomatic dysfunction that is caused by “increased psychic tension due to mental stress” and can be further exacerbated by continuing high stress levels. This is because both of your middle-ear muscles receive direct control from centers in your brain that are influenced by your emotional state. Thus, four key points of TTTS is that it’s an involuntary reflex, it’s anxiety-based, it’s controlled by your brain, not your ears, and it kicks in when the threshold for TTTS activity is reduced. The result is frequent spasms where your tensor tympani muscle continually and spasmodically contracts and relaxes, aggravated by louder sounds.
When this first began, were you under more mental stress than usual? And did you expose your ears to a sudden, loud, unexpected sound back then? These are two of the most common triggers for TTTS.
And yes, others can hear your TTTS if they put their ear close to yours. Typically, they’ll hear clicking or “thumping” sounds—like someone playing a tympani drum.
Cordially,
Neil
After 7-8 hours of lying down, my ear is triggered and I guess either starts pulsing or spasming.
5 hour spasms on Sunday
I’m leaning more towards the spasm as the beats are to slow when I measure it against
Hi Dr. Neil,
Thank you for the reply!
Apologies for that previous comment – I was attempting to reply on my phone and accidentally pasted in the wrong text from my notes!
Anyway, I just wanted to say that I think my ear spasming might be coming from my neck?
Over the past few months, I have had really bad posture – either sitting at my couch or in my bed for hours (10+ hours), with my neck just bent and staring down at my laptop.
I had my neck assessed by a physiotherapist, who said my C1 was extremely stressed and tight, and I had limited movement.
Since improving my posture (and not sitting at a couch or in my bed for hours), I now only get the spasm episodes at night time when I’m asleep in bed – the episodes start at around 3-4am and last until around 8am.
It’s quite frustrating as it interferes with my sleep, but on the bright side, I would prefer the spasming happening early in the morning than during the day.
I’m hopeful that improving my posture, spending less time on the computer, having physiotherapy on my neck and taking magnesium will help lessen the ear spasming even more. I’m a bit scared to have my neck adjusted by a chiropractor, but I might give that a go as well in a few weeks time if I still don’t see any improvement.
Hi Jesse:
The secret is to go to an upper cervical chiropractor, not a conventional chiropractor. The upper cervical guys make precise adjustments. They are not the bone-cracking kind of movements like conventional chiropractors use. Rather, they are gentle and you probably won’t feel like anything moved, because your vertebrae are just nudged into proper alignment.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, Thank you for this post. I have following symptoms.
I have vibration feeling since more than six months. I can make the vibration sound disappear if I follow any of the below techniques:
– Closing the ear hard stops the vibration sound: I have to make sure that there is no air inside the ear canal.
– If I travel the whole day then it sometimes disappears for sometimes.
– When I speak, It disappears.
– On moving my neck very fast, I don’t feel any vibration at all.
My ENT doctor is suspecting TMJ issue and other doctor is suspecting MEM but I am not sure what is the real issue.
Hi Saggy:
You got me. What does MEM stand for?
From what you have told me, I’d say you definitely have Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome.
As for its cause, go back 6 or more months to when it first started. Did you experience a sudden loud sound or acoustic shock? Do you have loudness hyperacusis? Were you under a lot of stress or anxiety?
Those are the three most common causes of TTTS.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello,
For the whole week, I’ve had ear rumbling in my right ear, involuntary and voluntary. I can make it happen with certain neck movements or clenching of my jaw/face.
For many nights I couldn’t sleep [AT ALL] because the very moment I would begin to slip into a dream, my jaw would slacken and the rumble would happen and wake me up.
For those nights I was an anxious wreck, completely sleepless.
The doctor had no idea what it was and basically implied it was in my head.
I know after all my research that it’s 100000% the tensor tympani muscle constantly activating, as it’s that exact sound you hear when you yawn or listen to loud music and take the head phones away quickly.
I am booking into see a chiropractor as I am almost certain this is a neck issue as I had a serious crash into concrete off a bike, many years ago, onto my right side. I never got therapy. Recently I’ve started whole body stretches and have found my right side is SO twisted and messed up.
For my ear, I have no other symptoms at all, although my ear feels a tiny bit full suddenly, which i didn’t have before.
Back to the stretches, I was doing neck stretches before the rumble started and I rushed the movements and believe I hurt my neck. I also kept sleeping in a very uncomfortable position, waking with bad neck pain for awhile. Getting a new bed soon.
I just want to add, because I was genuinely going insane with this, I did find tricking myself into befriending the ear rumble helped a lot. Even though I hear it constant off and on all day and night, I can sleep now because I think of it as ‘welcome’ and an extra limb in a way just so i stopped feeling like it was ‘out to get me’ which is what caused me massive anxiety in the first place.
Such a relief to see so many others experiencing the rumble, so I don’t feel so alone. Really hoping I don’t have this all my life, looking forward to seeing a chiropractor who may be able to help.
Hi Christina:
Your doctor was right–it IS in your head–but then, so are your ears and jaw–and that is where the problem lies–not that you are a nut case.
I agree that you have Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome that appears to be set off by various jaw and neck movements. So going to an upper cervical chiropractor is the right way to go. Once you get your neck and jaw into proper alignment, then see what problems are left if any. You probably will find this cures the whole mess.
Note that you will probably have to go to the chiropractor a number of times before your body holds the correct position as it has been used to being “out” for the past number of years. Each time you go to the chiropractor and get things properly aligned again, it should hold its position longer. Eventually, it will hold all the time and you should be free from all this.
In the meantime, making friends with your tinnitus is a good idea (just not TOO good a friend). That way it takes the anxiety away and it doesn’t bother you the same. I do the same when my right ear begins twittering. I just imagine there is a flock of song birds in the trees twittering away. Then it becomes a pleasant sound rather than something to be upset over.
Now that you know what is going on, I think you have a good chance of getting it all straightened out.
Cordially,
Neil
First of all, thank you for doing this. I had superior canal dehiscence surgery in April at Johns Hopkins and it was successful. I still have a little vestibular issues but nothing too bad. 10 weeks after surgery, the vibrating when I spoke began in both ears as well as some uncomfortable feelings when some people spoke or laughed too close to my ears. I can listen to loud music and it doesn’t make my symptoms worse. I have almost perfect hearing but mishear people alot. I am currently using a mouth guard at night (my ear surgeon thinks tmj may be the culprit to my TT spasms), I am getting accupuncture on my jaw regularly, and seeing an upper cervical chiropractor. He is cracking me but also putting me in a decompression machine as well. I had neck x rays taken today and will have results tomorrow. My first visit, he said my neck was “out” he then cracked it and it has felt better. My symptoms have improved or stayed the same since their onset 6 weeks ago. I take Magnesium L-Theronate regularly. I am stressed of course but doing what I can to relax mentallyand emotionally. I also still hear my footsteps in both ears when I walk on hard surfaces but only when looking down and to the side. This is normally a symptom of superior canal dehiscence syndrome but I don’t have a dehiscence in my right ear and the left and all it’s other symptoms are repaired. My question is, could this be TTTS as a result of tmj dysfunction and if so, am I taking the right steps? If not, please give guidance. Thank you, Doctor.
Hi Stavros:
What specific surgery did you have for your superior canal dehiscence? Was it round and oval window reinforcement? Or something else? Note that stiffening the round and oval windows only treats the symptoms, but does not fix the underlying “hole” or dehiscence.
This is analogous to having a hole in a dam, so it is leaking. The symptom is leaking water, but the underlying cause is a hole in the dam. Normally you would patch the hole–that would be fixing the cause, then the dam would work properly again, but instead you decide to just lower the water level in the dam to below the hole–and that fixes the symptom–the dam no longer leaks, but the dam is still not working properly.
Thus, after the surgery, you can still have problems–but hopefully, they are not as bad. And also, hopefully, they did not create new problems–in this case hearing problems. So this surgery is a compromise–trading one problem for another.
If you mishear people a lot, how can you have “perfect” hearing? I’d be very surprised if you had a high-frequency audiogram done that you have perfect hearing. And if you can’t understand what you hear, then your word recognition scores should be less than 100%.
If your upper cervical chiropractor is “cracking” you, he is NOT preforming upper cervical maneuvers, but is using conventional chiropractic procedures which defeats the whole purpose of going to one. Normally, upper cervical spine chiropractors take precision xrays first, they measure where you are “out” and then carefully push on the vertebra that is out to nudge it into proper alignment. This is a totally different technique.
If your TTTS is a secondary symptom of your TMJ/TMD, then it will tend to stay the same and you typically will not have loudness hyperacusis. From what you say, I think this is your situation.
Also, from what you say, I think your trigeminal nerve is not working properly–it may be “pinched” and a good upper cervical chiropractor should be able to fix that situation. When the pressure is off it, then things will likely work properly again.
I base this on your having Eustachian tube problems when you look down and to the side thus causing your Eustachian tubes to not close properly so you hear your footsteps louder than normal, etc.
For a starter, I think your chiropractor needs to address your trigeminal nerve and make sure it is not pinched.
Cordially,
Neil
I had Trans mastoid repair at Johns Hopkins and my hearing tests 3 months after concluded I don’t have any hearing loss or speech recognition issues I just notice it when I speak to people sometimes. I believe you’re right about my nerve but I’ve had x rays and they are all normal. So could it be pinched from the tmj? I’ll tell my chiropractor about the nerve next time but what else should I be doing?
Hi Stavros:
The nerve or a branch of the nerve could be pinched anywhere along the line, so have your chiropractor check it out. I’d start with an upper cervical chiropractic evaluation.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr Bauman,
My ear flutters randomly in both ears. I can go a full week without a flutter. The flutter will come and go real quick. When I touch my ear that has tinnitus I hear a thump sound but it only happens when I touch my ear. I have tinnitus in my left ear. I went to an ENT recently, after describing all my symptoms he thinks I have TMJ. I’m seeing a TMJ specialist in a week. Can TMJ cause the symptoms?
Hi Christopher:
Why does your doctor think TMJ is the cause and not TTTS, which seems more likely for a fluttering sensation?
Cordially,
Neil
My jaw on the left side makes a grating sound when I open my jaw. Also, I have an overbite which from I read causes more stress on the tmj joint. My question is why does my ear flutter on my right side where I don’t have any ear symptoms?
Hi Christopher:
I can’t say for sure, but I can hazard a guess. If your jaw is out on one side, and since your jaw is U-shaped, when you are out on one side, you almost have to be out on the other side to some extent. Just like if you muscles on one side of your neck are stretched, the corresponding one on the other side are contracted. So the trick is to get your neck, shoulders and jaw all in proper balance so they don’t “pull” each other out of proper alignment.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil, thank you for this wonderful write up. I am having the fluttering sound in my left ear since a decade. Hearing is normal, no fullness or dizziness, and the ENT doc wasn’t of much help in 2011. The fluttering occurs when I turn on the shower or tap. The sound of water triggers it. This butterfly fluttering also occurs when I crumple paper in my hand in a quiet room. Or when I lie down with my left side of the face touching the pillow. It stops after these activities and everything becomes normal. I do experience dull pain in the TMJ area sometimes when I burp after having a soda or something gassy. I tried a topical analgesic cream on the jaw area right next to the ear for a few days, but it didn’t work. I am a calm individual and keep stress under control. I don’t know what to do next and my doc is not interested in my case.
Hi Richard:
Tell me more about what happened when the fluttering started in the first place 10 years ago. Normally there is a loud sound that startles you that triggers TTTS. Had you exposed your ears to a sudden loud sound? Any other possible causes?
Often knowing the cause gives a clue as to the best course of action in bringing it under control.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for replying Dr. Neil. The dull pain in the TMJ started all of a sudden and the fluttering began almost immediately after that. There was no exposure to loud sound. I wonder why the burping causes the internal pain? I assume some air eventually travels into the eustachian tube, which seems to be working fine as my hearing and ear drum are normal and there are no symptoms of any blockage.
Hi Richard:
It looks like your fluttering (TTTS) is a result of your TMJ. I suspect that the TMJ is irritating or hyperactivating your trigeminal nerve and this is causing the TTTS.
If I am correct, then effectively treating your TMJ should remove the irritation of your trigeminal nerve and your fluttering should go away.
Have you had your TMJ properly treated?
Cordially,
Neil
Yes I did Dr. Neil, the doctor told me to put a hot water pack on the joint and explained how fomentation can bring relief. I tried for a couple of months, but it did not help.
I’ve just read about another condition called Stapedial Myoclonus, and the symptoms are more or less similar. Could that be the culprit? I have no idea.
Hi Richard:
Although the symptoms may at times be similar, the stapedius muscle is controlled by the 7th cranial nerve (facial nerve), whereas the tensor tympani muscle is controlled by the 5th cranial nerve (trigeminal nerve). The trigeminal nerve also controls the jaw muscles so I think it more likely to be the culprit, but it is possible that irritation on the facial nerve my initiate fluttering in your stapedius muscle.
If you can tell where the fluttering is coming from, you might be able to distinguish between these two muscles. When your tensor tympani muscle goes into spasms it moves your eardrum. In contrast, when your stapedius muscle spasms, it does not affect your eardrum but is deeper in your ear.
Or putting it a bit differently, irritation anywhere along your trigeminal nerve could also cause TTTS, whereas irritation anywhere along your facial nerve could cause stapedial myoclonus.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello. I was diagnosed with otosclerosis in my left ear back several years ago and because it wasn’t bothering me very much I decided to wait on any type of treatment. A few months ago I had a terrible viral infection in my sinuses in which my ears totally clogged up. I decided to go to my ENT and sure enough the otosclerosis is in both of my ears. My problem though is the drumming/fluttering sound mainly in my left ear. I did not have this drumming sound until I went to a massage therapist a couple months ago. She was pretty rough and I am now thinking after reading some of the comments on here that maybe instead of the tinnitus being caused by my otosclerosis – it could actually be an alignment issue. I have had the ringing in the ears for a while and it is a pain, but nothing I can’t deal with…the drumming is tough to handle. Do you think it would be worth my time to go see the upper cervical chiropractor like you mentioned to others just to possibly see if she may have pinched the nerve that controls the tensor tympani muscle or do you think it could just be the otosclerosis? It is really strange that I haven’t had this issue before. Thank you for your time.
Hi Beverly:
From what you say, I agree that your massage therapist probably did something that pinched your trigeminal nerve resulting in tonic tensor tympani syndrome (the drumming sound you now hear). If so, then you need to see a professional that can “unpinch” that nerve–get the pressure off it so it will calm down. Your choices are another massage therapist, physiotherapist or chiropractor (and preferably an upper cervical spine chiropractor). Once the nerve calms down, the drumming sounds should go away.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello, Dr. Bauman. About a year ago, the owner of the company I work for suddenly passed away. I had worked for him for 10 years and was very close to him and his family, and this event was extremely stressful. A few months after this, I developed a right eye twitch that came and went. Over the next few months, the eye twitch continued but starting involving my upper right cheek and the outside right area of my upper lip, and I started having a strong fluttering in my right ear that was simultaneous with the twitch. This past January, I became quite sick with covid. Although I recovered at home, it was quite stressful having this with all the unknown complications. With covid, I developed a bad sinus infection, which also involved my right ear. I had bad ear pain behind it, under it, and down my neck right below my ear. I put warm compresses on this area, which helped some. My hearing in that ear was muffled for a few days, followed by a high pitched shrill ringing for the next few days. Then any voices that I heard in that ear sounded like a “robot” or an electronic scramble sound. I tried listening to soft zen music to stay calm and just relax through this time. But music just sounded muffled and scrambled. After about a week, my hearing returned to normal. However, the eye & cheek continues to this day, along with the fluttering in my ear. It is not constant but instead random – when home, or driving, or at work, happens at any time of the day or night – it even wakes me up from a sound sleep. The fluttering and twitching happens sometimes when I talk, pulling my right eye half closed and then fluttering is very fast then. If I talk for too long, it involves the right side of my upper lip, affecting my speech, somewhat like a slur and the ear flutter continues. At times when I smile, it starts. When I stop smiling, it stops. Sometimes I can close my right eye and the twitch and flutter in my ear. At times, I hear a high pitched ringing in my right ear. This comes and goes. I simply can’t find “that place” that I can massage to make any of this stop – it’s relentless! I can sometimes take a deep breath and these things will stop but not always. The ringing is random – comes and goes. I read in this particular blog that TMJ could causing the TTTS type symptoms. My job is still very stressful, my drive is stressful, etc. I clench my teeth at night, my jaw grinds and crunches when I open & close it, and my left shoulder and sometimes up my right side of the back of my neck are sore & stiff after a hard week at work. I work at a desk all day and I thought maybe this has something to do with all this fluttering and twitching. Or could it be my teeth clenching and grinding. Or could it be stress related. I don’t know what doctor to see, or if I even need to see a doctor but before I go from doctor to doctor, I wanted to research a bit on this but in reading about these symptoms online, it can be scary so I’m glad I came across your site. I prefer a more realistic common-sense grounded approach to my health so I’m not so quick to go get CT scans and MRI’s when that may not be necessary. In your opinion, could this be anxiety / stress related, TMJ related, or something else. Any input you could give me on my symptoms would be most appreciated! Thank you for this wonderful site and helping people help themselves! Regards – Cyn
Hi Cyn:
As you know, our bodies are one organic whole, so problems arise when things get “out of whack” to use a fancy medical term . Often, it is not just one thing that is out of whack, but several things, or several systems, all at the same time. Treating one may not seem to make much difference. You need to fix ALL the problems.
Think of the analogy to a highway that connects Point A to Point B. A bad storm has just washed out 3 bridges, cutting off all travel between points A and B. Fixing one bridge is a step in the right direction, but nothing happens–no traffic can flow. Fixing two bridges also doesn’t make any difference, although, again it is a step in the right direction. It’s not until you fix the third bridge that makes all the difference and traffic once again flows.
In your case, you have at least three “bridges” washed out. First, the stress and anxiety creek have washed out your “calm” bridge. Stress and anxiety upset your body’s balance in so many ways. So you need to learn how to handle stress properly. And you need to get your anxiety under control. Seek out a counselor who can help you deal with your stress and anxiety without taking drugs–which ultimately don’t fix the problem. Also, learn and practice relaxation exercises and relaxation breathing exercises.
Second, the TMJ creek washed out your “jaw” bridge. When your muscles are “tight”, they pull on your skeleton and pull it out of proper alignment. This not only affects your TMJ, but also your vertebrae–especially in your neck. When this happens, you improperly aligned vertebrae pinch nerves and this just perpetuates the problem.
And finally, the “tension” creek wrecked your “trigeminal” bridge. Your trigeminal (5th cranial) nerve innervates (controls) your eardrum and parts of your face. When it is inflamed, aggravated or hyperactivated, various bad thing can happen. One is pain. Two is Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome (TTTS), and three,I think, is your eye twitching since it twitches in unison with your TTTS.
To fix the previous two bridges, you should go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and get your neck vertebrae, including your C1 and C2 vertebrae properly and precisely aligned again.
Also, seeing a massage therapist to get rid of the “knots” (trigger points) in your muscles/fascia so your muscles can relax is probably necessary to avoid them from pulling your vertebrae/TMJ out of proper alignment again.
It works this way, all your stress/anxiety causes your muscles to tighten. Your tight muscles pull on your vertebrae and pull them out of proper alignment. In turn the misaligned vertebrae pinch certain nerves such as your trigeminal nerve, which then can no longer send and receive proper signals, so it is upset (inflamed, aggravated and hyperactivated) and this results in twitches, TTTS, pain, Eustachian tube problems (ear feeling blocked) etc.
Note that although the chiropractor can align your vertebrae properly, they can quickly get pulled out of place by your tense muscles, which tense up from your stress/anxiety. Thus you will need a number of chiropractic treatments until your vertebrae “hold” their proper position. And to do that, you need to release the tension in your facial, neck and shoulder muscles (massage therapy) and to keep your muscles relaxed, you need to get your stress and anxiety under control so you can relax.
Thus, you need to rebuild all three bridges at the same time to get your body back “in whack” again. This will require some long-term lifestyle changes so you don’t “wash out” these bridges again in the future.
That’s how I see it, and it’s what I’d do if I were in your shoes (and what I do when those three creeks attack my bridges).
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for this information! This is a great explanation of what is going on and it makes sense. I’m working on de-stressing and getting exercise. I’m in my mid 50’s and too young not to take charge of this! Thank you again – great help!
I cannot thank you enough for all of this information. I developed tinnitus in March after I was elbowed in my jaw by my special needs son. I went for all of the hearing tests and my hearing is great. Now I am noticing fluttering. The first time was last night when my son was bouncing the basketball. And sometimes when I type the noise of the keyboard creates the fluttering (like right now!). I have been under a tremendous amount of stress realted to my son’s special needs and aggression for the past two years. AND I have TMJ. The ENT told me depression and anxiety is probably causing the ringing but I havnen’t spoken to him regarding this fluttering in response to noise, but I am relieved to read that this is probably all related. Oh did I tell you I have very tight trapezius and romboid muscles and I hold my stress in these areas…and my jaw is very tight and painful? Thanks very much!!
Hi Nic:
Obviously you need to get the stress and tightness out of your TMJ and back and neck/facial muscles. Chiropractic and massage therapy should be able to do that.
And you need to learn how to relax your muscles (and relax generally). There is lots of information on relaxation exercises on the Internet to help you.
I wouldn’t be surprised that you have somatosensory tinnitus from all the tightness in your muscles. So reducing your anxiety and tension should help a lot in reducing your tinnitus. And in the process, since TTTS is also largely exacerbated by anxiety, your TTTS should calm down too and hopefully go away.
I realize that you have an ongoing situation with your son, so you need to regularly work at relaxation and stress reduction therapies.
Cordially,
Neil
I got my covid vaccine in January. Tinnitus started about two weeks later, with ear fullness, ear pain and some dizziness~ Then I later developed random spasms in both of my ears. It used to be just if I was chewing something hard but now I just have the spasms randomly. They don’t last long but they freak me out. My tinnitus and other symptoms have improved a great deal but the spasms won’t go away. I do have anxiety and I don’t think that helps. If I am busy I don’t tend to ever have the spasms it’s when I’m thinking about it. Could the vaccine caused all of this. It is a big group of us having these issues since the vaccine. Could I have TTTS along with the tinnitus from the vaccine. Some type of off target inflammation? I am definitely improving but what a journey it’s been. I did have a hearing test that was normal~ Thanks for always being so great to answer all our questions.
Hi Pam:
The ear symptoms you developed in the two weeks after the COVID vaccine are very likely caused by the vaccine as many people have reported such side effects.
However, I’m not aware of TTTS being reported as a side effect so far.
As you now know, TTTS is closely tied to anxiety as you have found out yourself. When you are relaxed and focusing on other things, you don’t have these spasms. But when you are anxious or focus on your ears, the spasms begin again. So you know what to do–get your anxiety under control and then ignore your ears and get on with your life and you’ll seldom, if ever, have these spasms in the future.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much! You are always so willing to answer questions, it is really amazing. Such a great service helping those looking for some educated answers.
Take Care,
Pam
Hi Dr. Neil,
Thank you for the excellent article. Two weeks ago in a public restroom a toilet seat slammed down really hard and I started feeling pressure in my left ear coupled with clicking/popping noises while swallowing or talking.
I already have high anxiety over nearly 5 years of problems with my right year. (Muscle crackling that ended in surgery of cutting both the muscles in my right ear). Although the symptoms in my right ear were entirely sound activated and I could feel the muscles contract. Symptoms were resolved after the surgery.
Regarding my left ear. I have constant fear of noises (kids yelling, sudden loud pops etc.). What are your observations? Could reducing the level of anxiety reaction to noise actually cause my left ear to heal on it’s own without surgery as stated in your article? Have you seen this happen with your patients?
Thank you again for this informative information.
Hi Tony:
Anxiety can certainly heighten your startle reaction to sudden loud sounds and result in Tonic Tensor Tympani syndrome. Getting your anxiety and fear under control can make a big difference.
If you need help, seek out a good psychologist that can help you work though your anxiety issues and teach you how to calm down. There are also a number of relaxing exercises, including breathing exercises that can help you. And you can practice breathing exercises anywhere and any time when you feel your anxiety rising.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman,
About 18 months ago, I developed chronic tinnitus in my R ear (I believe from being exposed to a loud parrot squawking over a couple of months); of note, this ear wasn’t ‘normal’ to start with, as I had surgery on it about 12 years prior, including tympanoplasty and a widening of the ear canal…several months after the tinnitus developed last year, I began noticing that certain sounds made the tinnitus louder, and caused some pain – over the months, the types of sounds that triggered these symptoms expanded to pretty much any loud noise, and most problematically, to any steady sound, including humming/buzzing noises from HVAC systems, computer systems, lights, lawn mowers, the sound of rain – even music triggers these symptoms…I’ve been working with an audiologist but I can’t tolerate any of the ‘sound therapy’ she is recommending (pink noise, nature sounds, etc.), even at the lowest volume -specifically, all of these sounds result in louder tinnitus, dull but sometimes intense ear pain, pressure in my ear and head, headaches, warmth in my ear, face/cheek pain (R side), and pain down my neck behind and below my R ear — when the exposure is bad, I feel pressure and pain in my ‘good’ (L) ear too, and the ringing becomes ‘buzzy’ – like my whole head is sort of buzzing. I am trying to find a new place to live (still with the parrot but isolate away from it most of the time – but I know I need to get away from it completely) – but every place I’ve tried has low buzzing/humming noises (HVAC, etc.) that trigger these symptoms…
My audiologist, and the 2 otologists I’ve seen, try to help, but basically say this cluster of symptoms is ‘rare,’ hard to treat, etc. My current otologist thinks there may be some TMJ issues due to my description of the pain symptoms noted above, and referred me to physical therapy for massage to help reduce tension (I go next week)…
I wondered, based on the above, if you think I may have some variant of TTTS -? I found you after searching for TTTS – the following article, which describes a possible model of pathophysiology for symptoms following ‘acoustic shock,’ proposes that the TTM may be involved (‘An Integrative Model Accounting for the Symptom Cluster Triggered After an Acoustic Shock’ – Norena et al., 2018)…
Of note though, I don’t have loudness hyperacusis (sounds do not seem louder to me) or misophonia (I don’t find particular sounds aversive)…I guess I have ‘pain’ hyperacusis -but I don’t get stabbing pain exactly…I also don’t experience any fluttering sensations in my ear, nor do I experience any distortions of sound…your article, as well as the Norena paper, note the role of anxiety – it does make sense this is worsening all of this (and I certainly feel anxious about this -it has been very disruptive to my professional and personal life) -BUT – I do not think the triggering of the symptoms noted above is caused my attentional factors or expectations or fear (at least not always) – as sometimes I start feeling the pain and pressure, and the T increases in volume – and then I listen carefully and hear a very faint lawnmower noise or something similar – a noise I hadn’t even noticed – given how soft these sounds are, all of this is baffling to say the least…(and sometimes I get a wave of these symptoms and can’t even identify the trigger)…
My providers really don’t seem to know about this syndrome, and don’t seem to have the time or inclination to try to be a ‘detective’ with me to figure this out – so I’m wondering – should I maybe consult a neurologist, and/or try a low histamine diet (the Norena model suggests that histamine is involved)…I am in upstate NY and would travel hours (to NYC, etc.) to see any specialist that might be able to help…I’m just feeling a bit lost and overwhelmed trying to find help…of note, I am currently trying to secure some CBT services, which I know has been shown to help with some of this…
Thank you very much.
Hi Judy:
I’m a bit behind in answering you, but I get snowed under from time to time–or maybe most of the time.
I’ve never heard of a squawking parrot causing tinnitus, but I see no reason why it couldn’t happen, especially if it likes to squawk near your ear. Parrots can be noisy to be sure, and if your ears are sensitive, that could cause tinnitus (and hearing loss).
Since you tinnitus reacts to background sounds, you obviously now have reactive tinnitus–a combination of tinnitus and loudness hyperacusis. I know you say you don’t have loudness hyperacusis, but you seem to have a combination of the “kindling” and “winding up” forms of reactive tinnitus.
I don’t really think you have TMJ problems as there are a number of other reasons for having the pain you are experiencing.
When you say that you can’t stand the sound therapy noises at the lowest level–how low is that–so faint you almost can’t hear it, or the lowest level their sound generators go. (Some devices only have a limited range of volume–and it doesn’t go down to nothing–which is what I think you need to start with.)
I don’t really think you have TTTS, but TTTS and other conditions have a bunch of overlapping symptoms. I’d really suggest you get and study my latest book, “Hypersensitive to Sound?”. You can get it at https://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/hypersensitive-to-sound/
As you read it, you’ll find things in different chapters that apply to your situation, particularly Chapter 13 –Reactive Tinnitus and Chapter 18 — Pain Hyperacusis. And you’ll glean bits and pieces from the various other chapters that you will see that apply to your situation.
Once you’ve read this book, you’ll know more than your doctors and audiologists about your situation.
You have a lot of the symptoms of Acoustic Shock Disorder (explained in detail in Chapter 18) but you have not mentioned that your problems began with an acoustic shock incident as such. But in your case, maybe your “acoustic shock” wasn’t one occurrence, but repeated lesser occurrences of “parrot squawk” that may have ultimately trigger the acoustic shock disorder.
Since all the various “disorders” are also related to anxiety/stress etc. the more you are anxious and focus on them, the worse you get.
Before you do anything, or go to anyone else, I’d highly recommend you read my book because the things I cover are not well known to put it mildly, so almost no doctors know what to do. Thus you have to educate yourself first.
After you’ve read it, I’ll be glad to discuss your situation in greater detail with you and hopefully we can come up with a plan that will get you on the right road and going in the right direction so you can bring all this under control.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr. Bauman – I am delayed in returning to this website, but I just wanted to thank you for this very helpful response and information — I really can’t thank you enough for taking the time for such a thoughtful response…I have ordered your book, as you recommended – it looks very helpful and relevant for sure…and what you noted about a possible acoustic shock-related syndrome (due to being repeatedly exposed to the loud parrot squawk) makes a lot of sense, given my symptoms…I will do as you recommend -read your book to educate myself further -and I may reach out again after that, as you suggested might be possible…
Regarding your question concerning the volume of the sound therapy I’ve tried -it is the lowest volume on my computer speakers (I can’t use the in-ear devices as they cause ear pain) — I had the same thought that you had -perhaps those speakers are too crude to go to the low volume that I need, so I’ve tried some blue-tooth speakers, but there seems to be some sort of faint electronic sound produced by those that set off my symptoms, so I’m now looking for some good desktop speakers that will allow a more fine-grained control of the volume…in the mean time I’ve also found a youtube video of very high-pitched tones that vary – it is surprisingly tolerable at a low volume and sometimes results in a reduction in the loudness of my T for a few minutes after listening to it, which is interesting and encouraging – although I don’t notice an effect on the hyperacusis symptoms (e.g., pain)…
Thank you again for all of your help! and I hope you have wonderful holidays,
Judy
Hi Judy:
If your tinnitus has a tonal quality and you listen to tones of the same frequency, you can get residual inhibition where your tinnitus goes away for a few seconds or a few minutes. This only seems to work for those with a pure tone tinnitus–not the hissing kind of tinnitus I have, for example.
Any sounds that help reduce your tinnitus is a good strategy to employ when your tinnitus is bothering you.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil, I am from Indonesia, try to figure out what my problem is? …I had noise trauma 6 months ago and had tinnitus, but my tinnitus kind of weird , only escalate during exposure of high intensity noise, and will calm with low pitch when i try to relax after 5 or 10 minutes, many times with pain and feeling tense in the ear when the noise is more than 15 minutes, i already tested for hyperacusis with BSA standard and my average DB in all frequency is 95-100 DB and the audiologist stated that this is still normal…do i have TTTS?
Cordially
Hi Rudy:
When your tinnitus escalates in unison with background sounds, then you have reactive tinnitus. Reactive tinnitus is a combination of tinnitus and loudness hyperacusis.
What happened is that your acoustic trauma was really acoustic shock that has turned into acoustic shock disorder. The symptoms can include tinnitus, loudness hyperacusis, ear pain and a feeling of fullness in your ear to list the main symptoms.
In spite of what your audiologist says, you do have some degree of loudness hyperacusis. I don’t see that you have TTTS at all based on your symptoms.
It takes time for acoustic shock disorder to go away. In the meantime, you want to protect your ears from loud sounds and give them time to heal.
Cordially,
Neil
Have a good evening,
Please I had Eustachian tube dysfunction it’s been 5 years, I had 5 tympanoplasty repair operations due to the retraction of the eardrum and moving bones.
recently I had Eustachian tube dilation but it didn’t work. I have blocked ears with a problem of pain in the jaw on the left side and in the neck. I can’t hear my own voice well, I have to pinch my nose to hear it, if I move my jaw or my neck the ear gets blocked, also in swallowing gets blocked, I feel something in the throat, I always have to pinch my nose and swallow to open it
So I wonder if you have any solutions please
Hi Toufik:
From what you describe, I think your neck is not properly aligned and thus it is pinching your trigeminal nerve which in turn enervates (controls) your Eustachian tubes.
To me the solution is to go to a chiropractor (preferably an upper cervical spine chiropractor), but conventional ones will do and get your neck vertebrae properly aligned. When the pressure is taken off your trigeminal nerve, it should begin passing signals normally and thus your Eustachian tubes should begin working properly. So that’s the first thing I check out. That may solve all your problems.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello dr.Neil i have misophonia are there any effective treatments and is it even possible to do something with it ?
Hi Michael:
Why do you think you have misophonia? What sound or sounds do you trigger to?
If you do indeed have misophonia (or any other sound hypersensitivities) there are effective treatments for them. Chapters 15 and 16 in my book Hypersensitive to Sound? explains exactly what misophonia is, what causes it and how to bring it under your control. You can get this book at https://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/hypersensitive-to-sound/ .
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
I think I have eustachian tube dysfunction due to tensor tympani dysfunction after acoustic shock.
I have had tinnitus since I was a kid, and I think I have had tensor tympani syndrome, because my ears would always have a thumping/whooshing noise around certain loud sounds (people talking too loud, plates clinking, car doors slamming).
My eustachian tube dysfunction/tensor tympani dysfunction in my left ear started happening when I started using a headset at my retail job. I only used this headset in my left ear. Multiple times throughout the year, the noise from the headset would become too loud and my hearing would become distorted for a few minutes (I could hear my own voice and breathing amplified). Then it would go back to normal.
However, one day, the noise from the headset was too loud again, and I had the same distorted hearing for a few minutes. Then my hearing went back to normal, but a blocked feeling and pain remained. It was the first time that these symptoms occurred. The blocked feeling and pain went away after a week.
Then the loud noise from the headset happened again a month later, and I got the same symptoms again. A week after that, I had a severe allergic reaction to peanuts with anaphylactic shock. I had a trip shortly after, and my left ear felt even more painful after going on an airplane, driving on mountainous roads, and climbing a mountain. I went to a doctor after my trip, and he diagnosed me with eustachian tube dysfunction, since I had trouble doing the Valsalva maneuver for my left ear. He also saw that I have nasal inflammation and a nasal polyp in my left nostril. A month after diagnosis, I did not feel pain anymore and I was finally able to do the Valsalva maneuver for my left ear and it felt like my eustachian tube/something was being pried open after a long time (I could hear the crinkling sound like something was being forced open). However, I still feel a blocked feeling and I feel pain for a few days whenever I go to loud places. The Valsalva maneuver has not helped much after that (makes it feel more clogged). Also whenever I do the valsalva maneuver, since the eustachian tube for my right ear works properly, it increases the thumping sound on my right ear a lot whenever there is someone talking at a regular level/plates clinking (this goes away after a few days of not doing the valsalva maneuver). It does not increase the thumping sound for my left ear. Thus, I think that the acoustic shock caused my tensor tympani muscle in my left ear to not work properly anymore. Do you think this is true?
Since then (it has been 4 months now), I still have the blocked feeling. I do not feel pain, unless I go to a loud place. After going to a loud place, I will feel pain again for a few days.
I am currently on oral corticosteroids, take nasal spray, and doing steam inhalation everyday, but I am not seeing improvement.
I have also done a hearing test, and they found that my hearing is normal and that I do not have hyperacusis. But they found that for my left ear, I can hear higher frequencies a few dB louder than normal. My eardrums are also rigid/thick.
Also I forgot to mention, my left ear also feels more pain/blockage for a few days after exercising/being in a cold place for too long.
Thank you very much for reading this.
Do you have any solutions/words of advice?
Hi Christina:
What you have is Acoustic Shock Disorder (ASD) caused by wearing that radio headset on your left ear while at work. You have all the classic symptoms. Actually, ASD was first identified in call center workers who had to wear headsets such as you have been doing.
ASD is not a disease as such, but rather, it is a cluster of debilitating symptoms, including (but not limited to) tinnitus, hyperacusis, ear fullness, dizziness and pain in and around the ear. In addition severe Acoustic Shock Disorder almost always includes persistent symptoms of Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome (TTTS), and sometimes includes symptoms of temporomandibular disorder (TMD)
Triggering sounds for Acoustic Shock Disorder are typically not loud enough, or present for a long enough time, to cause noise-induced hearing loss as you might expect.
Normally, symptoms of acoustic shock are short-lived, but in some people (and you are an example) they can persist for a considerable time. If symptoms persist, an acoustic shock incident becomes Acoustic Shock Disorder.
Once ASD develops, you have to stop the basic cause (wearing the headset) while your ears “heal” and that can take several months as you have already found. And every time you expose your ears to “shocking” sounds, you start all over again.
There is no reason to keep trying the Valsalva maneuver because its not really helping.
You are correct that ASD results in TTTS–and in your case, only in your left ear because that is the ear on which you wear the headset.
I disagree with your doctor that you do not have loudness hyperacusis, because you do and your audiogram shows it. Your doctor just said you had better hearing than normal in the higher frequencies. THAT is one indication that you DO have hyperacusis. You just don’t have a severe case.
So what can you do about it.
First, you need to stop wearing the headset until your ears heal and as I said, it could take months. Even then, if you begin wearing the headset again, the same thing could happen all over again. Can you still do you job without wearing the headset?
Second, you need to protect your ears from louder sounds while they heal.
Third, I’d suggest you read my book, “Hypersensitive to Sound” particularly Chapter 18 and the sections on Acoustic shock, TTTS and middle ear myoclonus. You’ll find a wealth of information to help you. You can get this book at https://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/hypersensitive-to-sound/
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
Thank you so much for replying. That was a very clear and helpful explanation. I have stopped working at that job since then.
Should I avoid loud places in general or can I wear an earplug in my left ear? Such as a movie theatre or concert or a bar.
Also, since my left ear feels more blocked after exercising and being in the cold for too long, should I avoid exercising/being in the cold until it heals?
Would diet affect healing at all?
Sincerely,
Christina
Hi Christina:
First, if you wear ear plugs, wear them in both ears. If you don’t, you unbalance your auditory inputs and this can mess up your brain’s auditory processing.
If you are going to be in noisier places that affect your bad ear, it would be a good idea to wear ear protectors while your ear heals. This can take months.
If the racket is too loud, even for your ear protectors, better to stay away, or get up and leave than to risk making your ears even worse.
I’m not sure about the exercise or cold affecting your bad ear. If the only symptom is a blocked feeling and it goes away in an hour or so, then I don’t think I’d worry about it. I don’t think it would be doing any real damage.
Your ears need adequate supplies of minerals such as zinc and magnesium in order to heal and work properly. So you might want to take supplements for these. As well as avoid processed foods–things that come in boxes and cans for example. Eat lots of raw foods. I try to eat half of all my foods raw. You could aim for this too.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
Thank you very much for your helpful reply. I am so grateful for the time you take to read my posts and reply to them.
Would it disrupt auditory processing by a significant amount if I wear an earplug in only one ear for a few hours once every few months? (I go to loud events very rarely). Or would it only affect auditory processing if I did that regularly? I am wondering because I find it hard to hear people talking/the movie if I wear both earplugs.
Can I eat processed foods once in a while (events like cake on birthdays) or is it important that I cut it out completely? Do I also need to avoid alcohol and marijuana?
Do allergies affect healing? I have a nasal polyp in my left nostril, and I am planning to have an allergy test done to see what else I am allergic to other than peanuts. Do you think it is safe for me to do an allergy test? My doctor thinks that my severe anaphylactic reaction to peanuts a few months ago prolonged my ear problem. Since the allergy test could involve swelling, could that make my ear problem worse?
Sorry for all of the questions!
Sincerely,
Christina
Hi Christina:
It probably won’t make a noticeable difference if you block one ear occasionally for a short time. You do that every night when you have one ear buried in your pillow if you are a side sleeper. It’s when you do it for longer periods or more often that your brain begins to notice the difference and gets out of balance.
Cutting out processed foods is the ideal for optimal health, but it is hard to do in our modern world. Nor do we always want to as you mention–birthday cake, ice cream on a hot day, etc. The idea is to keep it to a minimum (and each person will decide what their “minimum” level is going to be).
The same applies to alcohol and marijuana. Keep it to a minimum. Personally, I have chosen never to take either–and never have. But that’s my choice.
If allergies clog up your external ear canals to partially block sounds getting in, or clog up your middle ears and again prevent sounds from getting through, then yes, they can affect your hearing–at least temporarily while you are clogged up, but I don’t think it affects your ears in the long term.
I don’t think allergy testing is going to affect your ears. You need to know if you have any other serious allergies. The swelling will only be temporary, so I’d go for it.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for this wealth of information and all of your replies to people here.
I have a few when you have a moment. I greatly appreciate your time.
1. Could jaw clenching/bruxism trigger or exacerbate MEM/tensor tympani/stapedius spasming?
2. Can thinking about, focusing on, and being anxious about the spasming of the tensor tympani and/or stapedius muscles truly cause or exacerbate the frequency and symptoms of MEM? How is the brain so powerful and able to do this?!
Thank you!
Hi Drew:
To answer your questions, 1. I don’t think that the bruxism exacerbates your TTTS itself so much as the underlying cause of your bruxism is the cause of your TTTS too. So they both get worse together, rather than one causing the other. That’s how I see it.
2. Yes–thinking about, focusing on and worry about your TTTS can make it worse the more you do that. This is because TTTS is largely an anxiety issue. When you worry about something, your limbic system figures it must be both important (or else you wouldn’t be worrying about it) and thus is a threat to your well-being. Thus it has to bring it to your conscious attention. Now it seems louder/worse so you worry more and your limbic system escalates its response so it becomes even louder/worse.
The good news is that you can reverse this process but not worrying about it–and treat it as a non-issue. In turn, you limbic system will slowly turn down its response to match your current frame of mind.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much!
Do you by chance know why, for many with this issue, sounds that are not loud, such as touching the face, or footsteps, or closing cabinets, touching surfaces can also set off the Tensor Tympani/Stapedius spasm? It’s so counterintuitive that quiet sounds would set off the spasm, but for many (including myself) it does.
Hi Drew:
Remember that TTTS is basically a startle reflex. If your startle reflex nerve gets hyperstimulated, it doesn’t necessarily quieten down right away. It can stay in a hyperstimulated state for a long time depending on your makeup. So their new “normal” state can be far more sensitive than normal and thus is triggered by softer sounds.
And if your trigeminal nerve gets into a hyperstimulated state, since it controls your tensor tympani muscle, if anything on another branch sets it off, that can cause it to send a signal to the other branches including your tensor tympani muscle and viola, a TTTS thump.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you!
It’s so strange: I will have long periods of no buzzing or thumping at all. Then other times, especially when I am going through anxious periods, the symptoms crop up again. Then those symptoms make me VERY anxious and I focus on them and think about them and actually anticipate them. And then the symptoms get worse. So it really does seem anxiety and worrying about this symptom actually can make it worse. But then I say to myself, could my brain be that powerful, to be able to make a tiny muscles in my ear spasm just because I’m worried about it and anxious? Because sometimes it will (although much less) happen out of nowhere when I am not thinking about it. But like you said, the hypsersensitive state doesn’t quite down right away.
1. So this must explain why during bad spasm periods, it can linger for a while before going into remission, even once I am worrying about it less and not as anxious about it?
A few other questions:
2. Can anxiety cause the startle reflex nerve to become hyperstimulated?
3. Can jaw tension and tightness increase the possibility of these middle ear muscles spasming? (I have a tense jaw/masseter muscle and am working to not clench and use moist heat on my face to relax the muscles).
4. How could it be that loud sounds trigger zero symptoms for me, but sometimes the quietest sound, such as someone in the other room closing a cabinet, or me very lightly touching my face, or even just putting something down on the table….these very specific and rather quite sounds the the ONLY thing that triggers the buzzing and thumps, whereas loud sounds do not..
Sorry for so many questions and I am extremely grateful for your insights, knowledge, and time 🙂
Hi Drew:
Remember that TTTS is basically a startle reflex and things that startle you can cause anxiety. Then the resulting anxiety keeps the startle reflex active. Thus the startle reflex becomes more sensitive to sounds and kicks in over “minor” sounds that do not startle you. Hence your TTTS gets worse and worse.
To overcome it, you need to calm yourself down and also get your trigeminal nerve out of the hyperstimulated state.
2. At the very least it can keep the trigeminal nerve hyperstimulated once the startle reflex has hyperstimulated it.
3. When your jaw, etc. is tight, that means your nerves are also hyperstimulated and that can cause the TTTS. So you want to calm down yourself and then the appropriate nerves. Massaging the involved muscles is a step in the right direction.
4. The startle reflex can be more hyper to certain frequencies of sound so what sets it off can be fainter sounds but at that “startle” frequency. That’s just how it works. It’s all part of TTTS.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
I have tinnitus in my left ear which has been going on since 2020. My left ear had pressure and fullness but went away in 2021 after doing a lot of stretching. Both my ears flutter but it only last for 1-2 seconds. It luckily doesn’t happen often. I can go a week without it happening. When I touch my left ear it makes a vibration sound. I sometimes hear it after a sudden loud noise. It happens sometimes after a big yawn. I do hear ringing in my right ear when I lay my head against a pillow which I find odd since I don’t hear it in a silent room. Also the intensity goes down when I’m eating but a couple minutes later it goes up again. I had a whiplash incident from skiing which happened 4 years ago. I’m currently seeing a Upper Cervical Chiropractor after reading your comments. My neck and lower back has a misalignment and currently being corrected. I’ve done 7 treatments of 12 that was recommended to me. I’m still hearing the ringing but it feels like it’s better then before. Also, I was diagnosed with TMJ and wear a mouth guard to bed. I have anxiety as I’m stressed about having these symptoms. For my understanding physically from my neck caused my tinnitus but mental part is another obstacle. I’ve been to 2 ENTs and was told I have perfect hearing. I’m 27 years old. Does it take awhile for your nervous system to work properly since it wasn’t treated for years? Will it start to fade away after my 12th treatment? Is my anxiety not allowing it go away fully since I’m always thinking about it? Does it sound like I have TTTS?I’m trying to get in the right mind set.
Thank you,
Chris
Hi Chris:
You are correct that your anxiety over your tinnitus is largely preventing it from going away. When you worry about your tinnitus, you are telling your brain that your tinnitus is a threat to your well-being, and your brain is programmed NEVER to ignore threats (because it may cost you your life). So, wen you worry about your tinnitus, your brain turns up its internal volume so you are sure to hear it (and thus be able to take action), but in this case, you don’t have any real threat so there is no action to take.
You are doing well in getting the chiropractic treatment you need and this will help you, but your worry is undoing the good the chiropractor is doing.
Your TMJ can also be causing your tinnitus. When your chiropractor gets you properly aligned, hopefully it will help your TMJ too–or ask him to specifically address your TMJ as he treats your back.
Now you also need to treat your anxiety. You need to quit focusing on your tinnitus. Instead, you need to concentrate on habituating to your tinnitus. The first step in habituation is habituating to the annoyance of your tinnitus. When you do this, your tinnitus will no longer annoy you–even though it is still there. The second step is to habituate to the volume of your tinnitus so it reduces in volume and seems to fade away into the background much of the time.
In order to habituate, you must NOT think of your tinnitus as a threat to your well-being, but just as a useless background sound that it is safe to ignore–and then ignore it by focusing on the loves of your life.
When you focus on your tinnitus, you are just telling your brain that it is important (and thus a threat to your well-being in some way) and your brain cannot ignore or habituate to threats to your well-being.
Furthermore, when you think about your tinnitus it becomes louder–mine is screaming away at me right now as I write this because I am focusing on tinnitus, whereas just a few minutes ago I wasn’t aware I even had tinnitus. That’s how it works for me. Now for the good news. In less than 5 minutes, after I finish this post (and assuming that I do not have to answer another post on tinnitus, my tinnitus will again fade away into the background. That is how well habituated I am to my tinnitus. Even so, my “screaming” tinnitus does not annoy me at all. It is just there. I don’t get upset over it, so whether I hear it loud, or soft or am not even aware of it makes no difference. It is just not an issue for me. You want to learn to do the same, and you can.
This is not a quick process. It will take several months, but you can do it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello,
I greatly appreciate your advice on how to overcome the mental side of it. I’m going to use that mindset going forward. My question is what causes your ear to have vibration sounds? Also how come I only hear it in my left ear? That’s what made me think potentially there is something wrong with my ear. I’m very thankful it’s only in my left but trying to get a better understanding on how it happens to one ear and not the other. When I was hearing the vibration sounds along with the ringing I thought I caused damage from listening to music with headphones but I was always cautious on the volume so it didn’t make much sense to me. I got anxiety after doing research on the internet and kept reading how it could be permanent. That scared me at a young age. I came across your article which led me to seeing a chiropractor. Now that I got confirmation that my neck and back was misaligned I’m getting belief that’s what caused it from the beginning. Also, would it be a good idea to see a chiropractor who specializes on TMJ? I’ve been wondering if both my tmj and neck caused it from the start. I’m assuming since it was awhile before I got treated for my neck it will be harder to go over the mental side of it since I haven’t heard silence in awhile. So for my understanding since there is nothing wrong with my ears it’s just temporary that I live with the ringing but since my anxiety got to me, I’m not letting my brain fully let it go right?
Thank you so much!
Hi Chris:
The vibration sensation/sound you are experiencing is your tensor tympani muscle going into spasms (TTTS). This muscle rapidly contracts when you expose your ears to a sudden loud sound (the startle reflex). If you trigeminal nerve is hyperactive or inflamed, it can cause repeated spasms resulting in TTTS.
But there is another cause of this condition, and this is what I suspect is happening in your case. You have TMD/TMJ. Both TTTS and TMD often go together. Your TTTS seems to be secondary to your TMJ which is your primary problem.
Here’s some good news. If your TTTS is secondary to your TMD, your TTTS symptoms will not tend to escalate (and yours don’t seem to be doing this–just a few spasms occasionally), nor will you experience loudness hyperacusis (which you don’t seem to have either).
Also, note that anxiety makes TTTS worse, so you need to quit worrying about your ear problems. So many people do their research online at various boards that are filled with people who like to scare anyone that dares to come there. Thus, I’d not suggest you frequent such places. Go to authoritative websites such as mine where I try to give accurate information with positive results–not the doom and gloom sites that have scared you and increased your anxiety so much. This just makes you worse off than if you’d never visited those sites.
In your case, I think you’ll find that getting effective treatment for your TMD problems will likely also get rid of your TTTS at the same time. So see either a dentist or a chiropractor (or both) skilled in treating TMD
Learn to ignore your tinnitus and habituate to it so it doesn’t bother you–even if that is what you hear when you are in a silent place. I haven’t heard silence in more than 70 years, but it doesn’t bother me, so its no big deal whether I have tinnitus or not. You can learn do the same.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
I posted on here before about having acoustic shock disorder. Thank you again for all of your help! Many doctors have misdiagnosed me or had no idea what ear problem I was experiencing, so I am extremely grateful for the advice you have given.
Sorry, I wanted to ask one last question since I just found out that my doctor prescribed me with Montelukast and not an actual oral corticosteroid. Would you recommend me going on oral corticosteroids short term to help with acoustic shock disorder? I am wondering whether to bring it up to my doctor.
Also, would antihistamines help at all?
Sincerely,
Christina
Hi Christina:
Since your acoustic shock disorder occurred several months ago, I doubt that any drugs such as steroids will help you now. And I doubt antihistamines will help either. They may help with your allergies, but not for ASD as I see it.
Taking drugs when there is no clear and compelling reason to take them just leaves you open to all the negative side effects without any real benefits. Thus, if I were in your shoes, I’d not take any drugs for your ears.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
Thank you for your reply. I have another question that came up as I was reading your book. I know that normal every day sounds do not damage my ears, so I have only been wearing ear protection in loud places like movies and bars. My ears have not hurt since October, which is the last time I have been to a noisy bar. There has only been a blocked feeling. However, I saw that in one of the chapters, that the kitchen should be avoided because sounds of food processors and plates dropping could be hurtful. I have been cooking in the kitchen a lot lately, so should I be wearing ear protection in the kitchen? I do notice that plates clinking irritate my ears (they do not cause pain), but they always did even before I got ASD.
I feel anxious because I am unsure which sounds are damaging my ears. I saw another chapter where remaining in silence worked for some people with hyperacusis. Would that apply to me or are normal everyday sounds still okay in my situation?
Sincerely,
Christina
Hi Christina:
Don’t avoid the kitchen (or wear ear protectors) unless the sounds in the kitchen really begin to bother you. If the sounds get to be too much for you (if you are in the kitchen for a longer time), you might want to wear ear protectors when you have “had enough”. Often your ears can stand shorter episodes, but longer times just get to be too much. The idea is to always push the envelope, but not too much.
Normal everyday sounds are not ear-damaging. It may just feel like it at times. So you don’t have to worry about damaging your ears physically. But you want to successfully deal with your loudness hyperacusis so protect your ears when you are going to be making loud sounds–blenders and suchlike–and take the ear protectors out for the normal clinking dishes/cutlery sounds (as long as you can stand these sounds and they do not make your hyperacusis worse.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your reply Dr. Neil, I will do that.
I have another ear problem but in my right ear now, which did not have problems before (other than tinnitus and sensitivity to cutlery/certain sounds since childhood). My left ear has ASD, but now my right ear suddenly started feeling even more blocked than my left ear starting 2 days ago. It is to the point that it distracts me from the blocked feeling in my left ear (my left ear feels “normal” in comparison even though it’s been feeling blocked these past few months).
The only changes that have happened are stopping Flonase nasal spray (without tapering) on February 1, started using a gua sha on my face, humidifer sickness on January 30 (stopped using humidifier since then). I also have a habit of swallowing a lot lately for the past 2 months (maybe too forcefully) since it brought relief to my left ear from being blocked. There has been no exposure to loud sounds.
Could this possibly be related to the ASD in my left ear, or is it more likely to be a separate problem entirely due to the recent changes that have happened?
Sincerely,
Christina
Hi Christina:
It’s hard to say whether you have the feeling of fullness because your right ear is expressing sympathetic symptoms from your left ear (which ears can do), or whether it has a different problem in its own right. Since both ears experienced ASD, I tend to think they are related. Think back to the day or so before the sudden feeling of fullness and try to remember if there was anything that happened that might have caused this new symptom? Does anything correlate?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor,
I have had an ongoing issue for the last 10 years. I am 30 years old and I first experienced a “broken speaker” static type of sound triggered by outside high pitched noises. After a wisdom teeth removal, the sensitivity got worse and the triggered sounds did not need to be as loud as it had started. I also have fluttering, rumbling types of sounds when I talk loudly and it stops when I stop talking. I also have tinnitus, but it does not bother me nearly as much as the issue I have explained above. I have been to several, several doctors. ENT, chiropractors, physiotherapists, TMJ specialists. I do have TMJ on my right side which is the same side as my ear problem. I have read numerous material and can’t seem to pinpoint what this can be. I do have facial tingling and numbness occasional on the same side as this issue. I am seeing another TMJ specialist soon to see if she is able to help draw some type of conclusion. The best way to explain the type of sound I’m hearing is broken speaker or static, all triggered by outside noise and stops when the sound stops. One other issue I have is when I wake up in the morning (with no noise) head movements will cause a rumbling or fluttering sound. I Appreciate your time.
Hi Tom:
If you have phantom sound that starts when real sounds start and stop when the real sounds stop, you almost certainly have some degree of reactive tinnitus.
Fluttering/rumbling sounds could be tonic tensor tympani syndrome due to your jaw/neck being out of proper alignment. So you want to get your TMJ fixed and your neck properly aligned. Then see what symptoms you have left.
You can learn more about reactive tinnitus by reading my comprehensive article on the subject at https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/reactive-tinnitus/.
Cordially,
Neil
I have a very odd symptom that is probably not related to this topic, but I don’t know where else to go. I feel the fluttering in my right eardrum when I rub the tips of my left fingers against themselves or against an object. As soon as I stop rubbing them the fluttering stops. What the heck is that? I have asked three hearing experts and none of them have any clue what it could be. My right ear Constantly feels like it’s a bit full of fluid but it is not as far as the doctors site. And I am very sensitive to sharp noises in my right here as well. If someone could give me guidance or direction where I can find out more about this strange condition I would be most appreciative. Otherwise I’ll just have to chalk it up as a neat party trick!
Hi Rob:
You do have an interesting symptom, don’t you. Unfortunately, hearing experts are often only expert on common conditions affecting ears and a problem like yours throws them.
Let me explain what is happening as this condition really does fall under this topic of Tonic Tensor Tympani syndrome. Your ears (really your brain) responds to two kinds of sensory inputs. Sound signals travel up your auditory nerves to your brain. But other signals such as touch (haptic) signals travel up somatosensory nerves to your brain.
Your eardrum is controlled (enervated) by your trigeminal nerve, which is also a somatosensory nerve. In the base of your brain, certain neurons do a lot of multitasking and sometimes signals get cross-wired. Thus the signals from your ulnar and median nerves that run down to your fingers can get crossed with your trigeminal nerve. When that happens, your excited trigeminal nerve causes your eardrum to go into spasms (the fluttering feeling you have). When you stop the haptic input from your fingertips, there is no corresponding signal sent to activate your trigeminal nerve and the fluttering stops.
Some people get a kind of somatosensory tinnitus when various somatosensory nerves in the face, neck, shoulders or arms are stimulated. This is basically what is happening in your case, although technically, TTTS is not a form of tinnitus, but a somatosound, but the result is much the same.
When you are sensitive to sudden, sharp sounds, you very likely have loudness hyperacusis. Often this is a result of exposing your ears to excessively-loud sounds or sudden, sharp sounds in the past.
If it bothers you, there are ways of treating it. If it is just a minor thing, then ignoring it is all you need to do. But also, protect your ears from loud sounds in the future or you can make it worse. Thus wearing foam ear protectors when you are in loud venues is a good idea.
Cordially,
Neil
Dear Dr. Neil,
I’m really glad I found this page. I have recently developed what I think is TTTS: left ear fluttering when I hear higher pitch or sudden sounds (that otherwise would be perfectly normal).
This happened after a period of extreme anxiety followed by a brief period of tinnitus in my left ear.
Being in an anxious state I paid extreme attention to my tinnitus constantly checking if it’s still there. As a result, ear fluttering triggered by noise started.
Luckily, tinnitus subsided already (as the main cause of anxiety has been resolved) but ear fluttering (TTTS) remains, which drives me crazy… and makes me even more anxious about it which in turn worsens the TTTS symptom.
Do you think I need to seek additional treatment or will TTTS resolve on itself? It’s been around 6 weeks like this now, and despite couple of days that were worse, it does seem to get slightly better.
Sincerely,
Marty
Hi Marty:
You now know that your TTTS was basically caused by excess stress and anxiety. Since TTTS is a psychosomatic condition, the basic solution is to reduce reduce your stress and anxiety. That is probably the most effective treatment.
In addition learn to relax. There are lots of relaxation techniques/programs on the Internet that can help you do this. Breathing exercises are also a good relaxation technique and you can do them anywhere and at any time you feel your anxiety levels rising.
Another thing to check is that your magnesium levels are good. Since TTTS is similar to muscle cramping and that can be due to low magnesium levels, taking a magnesium supplement is a good idea. The most bioavailable form of magnesium is magnesium threonate so I recommend it. It’s what I take every day myself.
You might also want to try Zygomatic hand-pressure therapy. Here is an extract from my book “Hypersensitive to Sound?” p. 429. (https://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/hypersensitive-to-sound/)
“A 2010 study revealed that zygomatic hand pressure is more effective at treating Middle Ear Myoclonus (which includes both TTTS and stapedial myoclonus) than the medications doctors typically prescribe. Therefore, you’d be wise to try this simple technique before resorting to taking drugs.
How does zygomatic hand pressure work? Here’s all you have to do. When you hear the initial burst of clicking or fluttering in your ear, loosely interlace the fingertips of both hands and place the heels of your hands over the sides of your zygomatic bones (your cheek bones).
To do this, if you wear glasses, you’ll have to take your glasses off as your fingers would otherwise be all over your glasses.
Apply a moderate amount of pressure using the heels of your hands for about 30 seconds. This is all it should take for the clicking/fluttering noises to subside.
While zygomatic hand pressure is not a cure, it is a simple and noninvasive technique that you can perform as soon as you hear the telltale clicking/fluttering noise of your middle ear muscles going into spasms.”
I think you’ll be able to get your TTTS under control if you follow the above principles. It can take time so don’t be impatient. And if it goes away, then you get anxious again, it may come back. Just follow the above principles to get your anxiety/stress under control and it should fade away again.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello!
Perhaps this will give some comfort to people seeking help.
My TTTS went away after a few months of suffering.
It nearly drove me mad so I went to two ENTs and also attended psychotherapy.
ENTs didn’t do much but at least they have me comfort that there could potentially be a surgical approach so I had a glimpse of hope, yet two ENT surgeons whom I consulted unanimously suggested to try to wait it out since my TTTS most likely have been triggered by extreme anxiety.
I then went to a psychiatrist who prescribed some mild medication against anxiety for 2 months and referred me to a therapist. I attended therapy every week for 3 months and although it didn’t seem to help my TTTS, it provided some relief and I started to function again.
A few months forward – my TTTS is gone!
Dr. Neil, thank you so much for your answer. It helped me immensely when I was at my worst.
Thank you,
Marty
Hi Marty. I have TTTS right now and bad anxiety. What anxiety medication helped? I am going to speak to my doc about it.
Hi,
I’m glad I found this page. A few years ago I developed tinnitus after my ears were clogged with hardened wax. This caused me a lot of anxiety for a long time until I found a white noise app that I can play on my phone under my pillow. This has been a life saver and the buzzing in my head stopped bothering me and I started sleeping better.
However around 6 weeks ago I developed this fluttering in my right ear which I can feel and hear. It goes on for hours mostly through the night. My white noise app doesn’t work for this one as I can feel the fluttering.
I bought some wireless headphones which work wonders if I am lay on left side however I can’t turn over all night as they are too undercomfortale to sleep in with my head against the pillow.
I found your hand pressure video online and have tried this a few times but it doesn’t seem to work for me. Does it only work I’d you catch the fluttering the first time you hear it? I will keep trying.
I am trying to reduce stress and anxiety but I have a really stressful job so reducing stress isn’t really something I am able to do.
I also bought a magnesium supplement and have been taking that for a fee days.
Is this condition something I will have to live with now like the tinnitus or is there a chance that this will go away.
I’m very tired from weeks of not sleeping and hints, tips would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
Hi Jen:
It sure sounds like you have Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome where you feel/hear your eardrum fluttering.
Since the headphones work wonders for you, here’s a trick some use. Get a foam pillow and cut a hole in the foam that fits your headphone. Then you can lay on your side and not have that pressure on your ear. It may take you a few tries to get the hole the right size and depth to fit your headphones. Then you will be able to lay on either side as long as you keep your ear over the hole.
My information is that the zygomatic hand pressure only works right at the start of the fluttering episode–so when you feel it just coming on, try this pressure treatment right away. I works for some, but may not work for everyone.
Since TTTS is very often stress/anxiety related, if you can’t reduce your stress, learn how to successfully handle it so it doesn’t bother you. Then your TTTS may get better.
There is no reason you can’t get your TTTS under control once you get your stress/anxiety under control.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil,
Thank you so much for getting back to me. TTTS can seem quite an isolating thing when you nobody seems to understand what it is and when you explain to the docs and they’ve never heard of it before and don’t understand why it’s bothering you.
I’ve read a lot online which freaked me out and then found this page and even scrolling through some of the things other people have suggested have been helpful.
I found some cheap silicone earplugs online which also seem to help. It really doesn’t bother me during the day it’s only at night it drives me crazy so I’m hoping these ear plugs work. Otherwise I will try the pillow trick you suggested.
As with the tinnitus I think once I’ve accepted the fact its going to happen and try different things to help me live with it the less anxious I am feeling.
One thing I would say to others dealing with this is find a solution that works for you. Stop googling and driving yourself crazy. That doesn’t help.
Thanks again!
Jen
Hi Neil,
I’ve had a couple of really bad nights with the ttts.
The silicone ear plugs and white noise ear phones only work sometimes but most of the time I can still feel the spasms in my ear
I had another doctors appointment yesterday and the doctor I spoke to was really unhelpful. Told me to read the tinitus website. I’ve had tinnitus fir four years now so I’ve read a lot of information about tinnitus. I explained I had spoken to you and about TTTS however she dismissed this. In the end I was prescribed sleeping tablets which are a short term fix.
I want to try other solutions now. I will literally try anything until I find something that works for me. I just need some advice. I have tried scrolling back through the posts that others have shared however most people have just discussed symptoms and not solutions. If anyone has any solution preferably not too expensive that they have tried to stop noticing the fluttering sensation on a nighttime I would really appreciate any help anyone has.
Thanks
Dear dr. Bauman,
My name is Natalie from Israel.
I came across your website.
I’m in the process if understanding what my symptoms are and what can I do to feel some relief.
On October 2021 I experienced 2 episodes of clicking sounds in my right ear, the clicking sounds we’re intermittent and we’re not aligned with my heart beat. Each episode was 5-10 seconds clicking then 5-10 break and so on. For about 5-10 hours long.
Then I had only clicking sounds for a few seconds while burping or hiccuping untill January 2022.
On January 2022 and to present I’ve experienced these episodes 1-2 times a week, the triggers are burps or hiccups, the episodes are longer (about 24 hours long) and when they are absent I suffer from constant pain all around BOTH ears, jaw joint and forehead. A feeling of fullness in my ears, sometimes ticklling and sometimes stabbing pain in my ears.
I had a hearing test and 2 ENT doctors check ups – my ears are healthy and my hearing is normal.
I went to an ENT doctor who said these are random fluctuations of the middle ear muscle that will go away and associated the other pain complaints to the jaw joint and to anxiety. He suggested I should start SSRI medical treatment (cipralex).
I saw a nourologist who specializes in Tinnitus that thought at first that this is typewriter tinnitus, he asked to preform an MRI scan to eliminate anything else related, waiting for that to be done. He also sent me an article that shows a manipulation of massaging the tensor veli palatini that is anatomically connected to the tensor tympani and asked to report if this helps reduce the clicking loudness. It did indeed reduce the clicking sound. As a result, he said that I may not have typewriter tinnitus as he thought. Yet didn’t confirm I have TTTC.
This has been an overwhelming period of time. For the past 2 months I’ve been trying to adapt to the new situation, meditate every day, read books and listen to podcasts that talk about pain manegment. But still, the uncertainty of what I have is very very hard on me. I find it very hard to fall asleep when episodes are present and to hold questions like ‘how long? Will this go away?’ And so on.
1. Is there a way to diagnose TTTC definitely?
2. What is the difference between TTTC and MEM?
3. Is TTTC revirsable or is this something that can come back at any time at life (perhaps periods that are more stressful or busier which is so natural for each human being)?
4. Have you heard of patients who managed to heal themselves for long periods of time due to conventional treatment and/or internal emotional treatment?
5. Is surgery (tenodesis) an option for treatment?
6. Is there any other treatment?
Any answer or any kind of information will be so much appreciated.
Hi Neil,
Still really struggling to sleep. The TTTS is everyday now starting around 3am. It wakes and it doesn’t matter what I do I can’t get back to sleep. Guess I’m feeling anxious because of it.
What sort of thing would you do to reduce stress. I have a good diet, I exercise regularly and I do muscle relaxation and breathing exercises. I’m not one for meditation or mindfulness they make me feel more anxious.
What magnesium supplement is good to take? I bought a cheap one to try but I want to continue with this so will need to get some more soon.
My doctor is really not helpful, she just will not do anything for me.
Any advice you or others have to stop the spasms during the night or how to learn to live with it would be great. Thank you.
Hi. Do your ttts cause pain?
No just annoying spasms. They go on for hours and make sleeping difficult.
Hi Jen:
How are things going with your TTTS now?
If you can’t get back to sleep, why not get up and do something productive until you feel tired and then head for bed again. Sometimes I do that, or I just vegetate in front of the idiot box (TV) and watch a “boring” program until I fall asleep in my Lazyboy chair. Do whatever works best for you.
Here’s a good article about 5 things you can do to reduce your stress. https://www.amenclinics.com/blog/5-things-you-can-do-right-now-to-feel-less-stressed/ . Maybe something here will help you bring it under control.
The most bioavailable magnesium is magnesium threonate. That is what I take every day just for good health.
I wish I had a sure-fire way to stop these spasms, but I don’t. You can learn a lot more about TTTS in Chapter 18–pages 408 – 431 in my book “Hypersensitive to Sound” that you can get at https://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/hypersensitive-to-sound/ .
Cordially,
Neil
Still really struggling if I am honest Neil. Just wish there was a solution. Thanks for you responses though.
Hi Neil. I’m french so sorry for my english.
I have tinnitus and ttts since 2012, at first I had a lot of anxiety but over time I ended up not noticing them anymore. But a week ago I did an Mri for my jaw and I had to keep my mouth open for a long time. Even with the ear plugs it’s was loud, I have anxiety immediately afterwards for fear of having damaged my hearing, since the MRI I have a constant burning pain in my right ear and it seems to get worse with sounds. I do a lot of anxiety for fear of having hyperacusis. Could my anxiety be the source of these new symptoms? could a tmd problem be the cause? Can an MRI cause hearing problem. I know stress is a part of or too. Thank you
Hi Dr Neil,
Thank you for the such an interesting article.
I have been experiencing some of these symptoms and a few others. I also have chronic fatigue syndrome. My symptoms are about a year ago I noticed a feeling of pressure and pulling on the right side of my face. My eyes but in particulatar the right would have tears coming out while my right ear popped on and off. This would happen mainly when I was relaxing/meditating and went on daily for around 3 months. The eye symptom has improved somewhat and so has the popping to some extent and I now also get boils/inflammation of my ears, mainly the right. It happens once or twice a month. My outer ear goes very red and angry and there are spots that leak fluid as well. It is very painful and I can also feel it inside my ear. I have also experienced stabbing pains in my neck and burning pain down my back (right side). I have recently started accupunture but any insight you have would be appreciated. Many thanks
Hi Gemma:
What happened a year ago that might have precipitated this collection of symptoms? Did you have any physical trauma or were you in a car accident, or?
From what you say, my first reaction is that your neck/shoulders are out of proper alignment. Thus, the first thing I’d do is see a chiropractor and make sure everything is in proper alignment, or get it properly aligned. Once that is done, I’d see what symptoms you have left. Hopefully chiropractic treatment–especially if you go to an upper cervical chiropractor (http://www.upcspine.com/)–will fix things–get rid of the stabbing pain and the burning pain. Of course it depends on the cause of your problems–a neurological condition or a “pinched” nerve.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Neil,
Thank you for your response, this gives me some hope. The only thing that happened was I started meditating. It seemed to bring a lot of symptoms to the surface. I no longer have that feeling of intense pressure in my head but still getting some ear popping and the inflammation. I do get a sense it is improving. I’m not sure if the stress of my condition can cause a misaligment. The nearest UPC is hundreds of miles away and I’m not up to travelling at the moment. Could it be helpful to see a general chiropractor? I’m concerned about doing more harm than good.
Many thanks
Hi Gemma:
Typically, I’d say that going to a regular chiropractor won’t harm your situation. Depending on the chiropractor’s experience, he may help you to some degree. But nothing beats the expert care of an experienced upper cervical chiropractor.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Bauman,
First of all, thank you for having this blog and responding to all the people who comment here. I’m sure it helps a lot of people.
I’ve had this (almost continuous) vibrating sensation in my right ear for slightly over a week now. It gets worsed when I focus on it or when I lay down to sleep (especially on my left shoulder).
I’ve been a musician for over 15 years and have always been obsessing over my hearing (having it damaged in any way, getting tinnitus, etc.). I believe I may have even developed a very slight tinnitus because of this.
I’ve also had rather extreme anxiety for most of my life: this started when I was only 12 years old (I am now 28) and I have been in therapy for many years. I’ve suffered from panic attacks and a lot of psychosomatic problems, like RSI in my writs and arms, as well as hyperacusis. Luckily, all of these problems have gone away and only very seldomly act up when I am particularly stressed. I do release many of these problems are related to my fear of not being able to make music anymore.
The past few weeks have been extremely stressful for me, because I am working on new music, dating someone new, worrying about climate change, not sleeping well, etc. I am starting therapy again soon, but only in September, so I will have to face my own problems during the coming month.
On top of all this, I watched a video about tinnitus, which made me worried about it even more and I started thinking ‘what if I get tinnitus or hearing-related problems, just because I watched this stupid video?’ Especially because I am a hypochondriac and have worried about hearing loss for years.
So here I am with this sensation in my ears. It’s very annoying and it’s stressing me out a lot. I’m afraid I will lose my mind at some point because of it. I read some articles about it being a rather vague problem and it sometimes not going away, ever. This obviously deeply disturbs me and it hinders me when I try to get my stress under control. I had a doctor look at my ears and he said they look fine, and that this problem is probably stress-related. He confirmed that this is my tensor tympani moving. Do you know cases of people who had this and who had it go away after they succesfully managed to lower their stress levels? I feel like I need some hope/reassurance, because this is just particularly hard for me. I really want to continue making music, it’s what makes my life worth living.
Thank you so much for reading this entire message!
Kind regards,
Ruben
Hi Ruben:
The vibrating sensation you have in your right ear is called Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome as you probably already know. It is primarily a startle reflex due to sudden loud sounds. However, it is made worse if you are particularly stressed or anxious–and this fits you to a “T”. Also, TTTS can come out of loudness hyperacusis.
I’m surprised that you don’t already have tinnitus since you have had hyperacusis and TTTS. Obviously, you are exposing your ears to sounds that are too loud. You need to tone it down a bit so you don’t continue to damage your ears. Or at least, wear musicians ear protectors when around louder music.
But most of all, you need to get your stress and anxiety under control because all the above conditions are psychosomatic in nature–there is a physical component and their is an emotional/psychological component. Of the two, I’ve found that the psychological component is the more important in bringing things under control.
There is a lot of misinformation on the Internet regarding ear conditions that frightens people. It is often written by people that don’t do what is necessary to overcome these problems–so they say they are permanent. It may be true in their cases, but it is definitely not true for everyone.
When you get your stress and anxiety under control, you’ll often find that these conditions go away.
Incidentally, stress itself isn’t bad. It’s how you deal with it that makes all the difference. So learn successful stress handling techniques and get your anxiety under control and your TTTS should fade away. You already know that thinking about it makes it worse, so focusing on other things is important in helping it go away.
You can continue making music–just make it softly. If you keep the music level down to the level of normal conversation, you’ll never damage your ears, but too many think that music has to be LOUD, and that causes the damage.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr Bauman.
I recently jumped from a little less than a story height and landed on my feet and felt no pain. But weeks after felt sharp pain behind my ear in the back right side of my head.
Then I noticed alot of pressure in my ears. Shortly after I developed vertigo and nausea and brain fog. Was treated for BPV to no avail. I noticed my neck in the back would always hurt and trap shoulder area would tingle and along my neck right side would be sore but nothing that Aleve wouldn’t fix. It’s like I couldn’t hold my neck up straight or drive for long periods, then weakness in my arms and legs started, also had dryness in my mouth before this like no saliva or tears. But anyway I visited ENT was instructed get a bite guard for TMJ, diet for menieres disease, and nasal spray. Also had a myringotomy slice in my eardrum to try and relieve negative pressure. Well now my body functions are very loud such as speaking and chewing and anything coming out my mouth is too loud for my ears and I have to whisper or I feel pain and my Tinnitus and hyperacusis has gotten so bad. The pain is in the same areas with the addition of ear pain around the ear behind it, down the neck to my shoulder. I had MRI done at first they found a few bulging discs I went to a chiropractor and left with more weakness in my legs maybe coincidence. I have an appointment with Atlas Monday for Atlas adjustment I may have weak ligaments in my neck. Also when I swallow or open my mouth I hear clicking and popping all day. I feel the wind in my ear when I breathe. Also too much noise I cannot understand what’s going on and get startled by noises easy. My anxiety is through the roof I’ve been housebound because my last doc appointment I whispered for an hour then sensitivity especially in the ear I feel pain in got worse. Can I recover? What do I need to do?
Hi Malcolm:
I think when you landed after the jump, the shock was transmitted through you bones and spine and it knocked several vertebrae out of proper alignment. I think the first treatment would be to see an upper cervical chiropractor and make sure your C1 and C2 are in proper alignment. That alone should get rid of several of your symptoms.
At the same time, your chiropractor needs to properly align other vertebrae. I think your patulous Eustachian tubes (causing loud breathing/body functions) are the result of your trigeminal nerve being “pinched” or aggravated. So your chiropractor needs to carefully align the appropriate vertebrae to take the pressure off this nerve too.
Once these adjustments have been made (and are holding their proper positions), then see what symptoms are left. I’ll bet a lot of them will be gone.
I’m not sure about your hyperacusis, but feel that much of it is due to spinal misalignments. If it still persists, let me know and I’ll help you deal with it and get it under control.
Be aware that hyperacusis is largely at psychological problem and your high anxiety levels are making it worse. So you need to get your anxiety under control now as well.
Cordially,
Neil
Hey Neil! I suffered an acoustic shock in 2020, after a loud noise had a weird feeling in my ears and was a tad bit sensitive to sound. The weird feeling in my ears lasted a week and the sound sensitivity lasted maybe 2-3 weeks but then it all seemed to get better. Randomly in 2021. I started worrying I damaged my hearing as I was exposed to a lot of loud sounds in my history. I’m 23, been to clubs in 2019, dirt biked all of my life and drive loud sports cars since I had my license. Anyway after I started worrying about it I started getting a weird feeling in my ears again, then I got severe hyperacusis. I’ve done a lot of research including buying your book and I’ve gotten a lot of my anxiety under control and feel much better but I still have some off days of sound sensitivity and weird feelings in my ears but most days are pretty good. I still get burning sensations in my ear tho. That seems to be my most problem at
The moment is these randomly burning sensations that happen. Sometimes I can go a week and not get it or I’ll go one week and get them daily. I found some triggers. Heat seams to bring a flare up on, sometimes touch and showers. Any idea what this is or how I could cure it. I noticed in the article you do talk about burning ears. They’ll turn red too. Sometimes flare up isint bad sometimes it’s bad. It’s definitely not as bad as I use to get them when they started happening They’d get really really hot and dark red. I don’t know if it’s related to my thoughts about hyperacusis / TTTS / acoustic shock and still having that worry about it a little bit or what. Seems like if I think about it sometimes that even triggers it or maybe it’s just in my head. Anyway I look forward to your reply and thank you so much. So sorry this is long.. I wish I could change the past to avoid tbag loud sound in 2020 that gave me the acoustic shock. I probably would not have all of these problems today but I know we can’t do anything about the past.
Thanks,
John
Hi John:
The only thing you really can do from the past is to learn from it. You now know you need to protect your ears from loud sounds. So looking forward, you need to protect your ears when you are in loud venues. Wear ear protectors as needed so things don’t get worse in the future.
The burning sensation is almost certainly due to an irritated trigeminal nerve. So calming down that nerve should certainly help relieve that burning sensation.
Here’s a quote from my book. “Some of the pain you experience with pain hyperacusis comes from inflammation and “neuronal irritability—a hallmark of neuropathic pain”. Thus, treatments aimed at reducing neuropathic pain, especially in your trigeminal nerve, may help you.”
Since acoustic shock, hyperacusis, TTTS, tinnitus, etc. are all psychosomatic conditions, they all have both a physical component and a psychological component. Thus thinking about, obsessing over and worrying about your ear conditions can make them worse, and just bring on the sensation as you have found out for yourself.
You are doing well getting your anxiety under control, but, even so, you get good days and bad days. Take heart–when you have bad days, know that good days are coming.
When you find yourself thinking about your ears, switch your thoughts to something else. Focus on the loves of your life, not on your ears. This will really help you.
In addition, learn what you can do to physically calm down your trigeminal nerve. When you do this the burning sensation should slowly disappear.
Talk to a pain doctor and see what he suggests. You may also find that massaging your trigeminal nerve helps. So too, might eating an anti-inflammatory diet. Too many processed foods cause inflammation, so reducing them and eating a more natural diet can really help there.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks Neil for your reply.
I am curious i do find mixed things about trigeminal nerve like its not cureable? Is this true? What would have caused my trigeminal nerve to become irritated?
Hi John:
You’ll find the internet a good source of information and lots of misinformation. You have to have the skill to distinguish between the two. Some people love to wallow in their misery and delight it telling you some condition or other is not curable because they are unwilling to do what it takes to get their condition under control.
Having said that, things such as tinnitus and TTTS and phantom pain and some other pains are all psychosomatic in nature. They may have a physical cause, but the pain symptoms go on and on when they become a pain loop in your brain due to how you think of your pain.
Your trigeminal nerve can become overactivated by a number of things. One, of course, is being “pinched” because your vertebrae are out of proper alignment. This is typically an easy fix via a good chiropractor. It can also become super-activated by a sudden loud sound that startles you–and this can lead to TTTS for example. There are a number of other causes, but I can’t think of them at the moment.
Cordially,
Neil
I also suffer from TMJ, could have this lead to irritability in that nerve? I have read online that it might even cause hyperacusis. I also was told by my doctor a few years ago we would have to keep an eye on my thyroid, which also runs in my family and i heard thyroid can even cause ear problems such as tinnitus.
Hi John:
Yes, TMJ can also irritate your trigeminal nerve. It can also result in certain kinds of hyperacusis. Too many people think of hyperacusis as a monolithic whole just like they do for tinnitus, but the truth is that there are 7 basic kinds of hyperacusis and three basic kinds of tinnitus. The causes and treatments of each are different.
Yes, it is true that thyroid problems can cause tinnitus. Poor thyroid function can cause pulsatile tinnitus, for example. Its possible it may cause other kinds of tinnitus too.
Cordially,
Neil
Hei Neil
J am 72 years,have Cholesteatoma in right ear,and incus hearing bone is damaged.Doctor will wait 6 months to see if a need operation.But in left ear j have problem.,,chronic humming,which gets much worse from all noises like tap water,microwave,and when i driv my car,from tires on road..and worst of all,,when i brush my teeth,and when j eat.Also when i start to walk.J can not hear bass sounds from cars or from music or from diesel locotomotiv..those sounds make my ear spasm.Can not go to the mall,,all sound there is amplified.j also have some anxiety about this,Do you think my broken incus in right ear can make this problem in head,,or do j have hyperacusius or Ttts in left ear? Sincerely Sven-Erik from Norway.
Hi Sven-Erik:
You most likely have reactive tinnitus in your left ear. With reactive tinnitus, as background sounds get louder, so does your tinnitus.
I think you meant to say you “can not stand” not “you cannot hear” bass sounds as they make your ear vibrate. That does sound like TTTS. If your magnesium levels are low, that can cause TTTS to be worse, so taking magnesium supplements such as magnesium threonate may help if this is the cause.
Ears can be “sympathetic” to each other so if one ear has a condition like tinnitus, the other ear can develop it too. However, in your case, I don’t really think your incus in your right ear is causing, or making worse, what is happening in your left ear.
I think you have both reactive tinnitus (tinnitus & loudness hyperacusis) as well as TTTS. Your anxiety makes both of these conditions worse, so working to get your anxiety under control is very important.
Cordially,
Neil
Hey Neil.
Thank you very much for the answer.You are amazing to be able to help so many people woth your answers.
J want to ask again,,why are such bass sounds that come from speakers,and from engines and not least from diesel locomotives so bothersome to the ear,,it actually vibrates inside.
And when i brush my teeth,or eat,,the sound starts popping up.
J will as you say..work with my anxiety and my fear.
J wish you Neil,,and all readers..All Good.
Sincerely..Sven-Erik
Hi Sven-Erik:
Most people are not bothered by low frequency sounds. But the reason you can “feel” them is because there is far more power (energy) in the low frequency sounds as opposed to high-frequency sounds. However, your ears don’t hear low frequency sounds like they do sounds in the 1,000 to 3,000 Hz range so even though they are strong signals, they don’t seem overly loud to you.
Now, in your case, something different is going on so that you hear them so well (loud). Does your audiogram show that you have an air-bone gap in the lower frequencies–meaning that bone-conduction testing shows better results than air-conduction testing?
It is possible that you have a condition such as conductive hyperacusis where you have a “third window” or hole in your inner ears that is not supposed to be there. This allows you to hear conductive sounds better than sounds from your outer ears.
It seems that these low frequency sounds result in TTTS if I understand what you are experiencing, and that would be a different condition than having a “third window” problem. I don’t have enough information about you situation to be able to figure out exactly what is happening in your case.
Cordially,
Neil
Hei Neil
Once again..thank you so much for the elaboration.
I will explain as best i can.
On CT.scann you can see a deep and wide eardrum retraction in the right ear,which is soldered down towards the upper part of the oval window.Incus is missing,downwards in the retraction the stapes button appears.No signs of dehiscense.Hearing test showssome mechanical component,bilateral drop towards treble.
Airbone gap max 40db with 250hz right side.
Airbonegap max 20db with 250hz left side.
The doctor says it is dry condition,and no accumalation of cholesteatoma,,so he will see it of for 6 months.
J have suffered from burnout for two years now,with anexiety and despair and pain in muscles,,and sleeps poorly.Alittle better these days..J have chronic humming,,just like sound of a car engine..in the night..it is lower,but soon as i move it starts up.
All sounds like water from tap,,microwave.boiling water,,when i use shaver,,and worst when i brush my teeth,and eat..
When i drive my car..there is rumble and pounding from tires and the engine..Sound from the TV is distorted…Can listen to the radio in the car softly…Al bass sounds are horrible for me…so you see j am very handicapped….J have also problem with the sinuses..nasal polyps..
Using Nasonex spray..two doses in each nostril daily…This was a lot of trouble…
Is there anything a doctor can do for my problems with the sounds now?….
All the best wishes from Sven-Erik Norway.
Hi Sven-Erik:
From what you have said, you have a conductive hearing loss in the low frequencies and a sensorineural hearing loss in the high frequencies.
You also seem to have reactive tinnitus. Your tinnitus calms down in quite and overnight and various sounds during the day make it much louder, correct?
I’m still trying to understand your situation in regards to your tinnitus sounds. Why is your tinnitus so bad when you are eating? Describe what you are hearing, etc. Is it the movement of your jaw that makes your tinnitus worse? Or is it that your Eustachian tube is open so you hear eating sounds louder than normal, or what?
Does you tinnitus get louder when you drive your car and calm down right away after you stop, or what?
Are you taking any drugs apart from the Nasonex?
Until I can figure out what is going on with your ears, I can’t recommend any effective treatment.
Cordially,
Neil
Hei Neil
Thank you so much for your kindness and patience in helping me.
J am so graitful.
The sounds problem are so tyring and stressful.
At night when it is quiet J hear a low whirring sound. As soon j get up,the engine sound starts up.When j eat,and not least when J brush my teeth,engine sound increase in pitch and revs.
The sound can be described as a motorcycle engine.
When j drive my car,J can hear the noise from the tires,and from the engine,and a vibration in the whole body.In lower speeds 40-60 km..it is a bit quither.When i stop,it takes a while,then sound drops to chronically lower hum.
When i am out,makes all the noise from traffic much worse,and in the shopping center,noise from the cooling system,is very tiring.
J live about 100m from the railway line,so when the diesel locomotive pulls up,it is the worst sound ever,just like the sounds from bass speakers,also when the windows are closed.When J wear and ear watch over my left ear,J block disturbing sounds outside,and then the humming is less.But it is in the rigt ear that j hear poorly,and have damaged the auditory bone…Continuation will follow..
Hi Sven-Erik:
From everything you say, I am more and more convinced that you have reactive tinnitus, not TTTS (although it is possible you have both conditions).
With reactive tinnitus, as the sounds around you increase, your tinnitus increases and as the sounds decrease or in quiet, your tinnitus eventually returns to it’s normal level.
If you also feel the vibrations from your tinnitus throughout your body–not just your ears vibrating, then this is not TTTS, but a phantom feeling associated with your tinnitus. Numbers of people have this sensation when their tinnitus is a low-frequency sound.
For example, sometimes my tinnitus is a low-frequency rumbling sound. When I hear this, I also feel the chair, house, ground shaking as though a bulldozer or train was going by. My brain knows that low rumbling sounds are produced by machinery that also shake the ground so you can feel it.
Since low-rumbling tinnitus is a phantom sound, my brain produces the corresponding phantom vibrations to go along with this phantom sound. When two of your senses produce sensations, it is very hard to realize that they are both phantom. I’ve talked to numbers of people that have had this same experience as I have had. Does this make sense to you in your situation?
Cordially,
Neil
Hei again Neil.
All sound from tap water,microwave-toilet and when J walk,causes engine hum to start.
J had a surgery for nasal polyps in 2003.J have had quite a few problems with the sinuses for many years since then.
Many times blocked nostrils,where J have used a nasal spray,anf got better.The nasal polyps are back,and these days J use 2 doses of Nasonex..no other medicine and drugs.
In year 2010 a small retraction was dected in right ear.But in 2019 did the doctor see a big deep retraction….Have never in these years had any problems in the ears,but now from a year ago,J become sensitiv to sounds.
And from May this year all the problems with sounds increase greatly.
No inflamation and little pain…But CT-xray shows some Cholesteatoma and erosion of the auditorybone in the right ear.Left ear is okay with the eardrum. Severe hearing loss in the right ear.
J can talk on the mobile with the loudspeaker on,engine humming then only gets a little worse.
When J blow hard into the nostrils,,the sound is gone for tenths of a second.
Neil..this was a lot,but J hope J have explained myself well.
All the best from me.
Sincerely Sven-Erik
Hi Sven-Erik:
I’m still curious why you became sensitive to sounds (reactive tinnitus) a year ago. And also curious why these sound sensations became much louder in May. There must be a reason. We just have to find it. One possibility is that you were more anxious and stressed in the weeks before your ears began to “rev up”.
If this is so, then getting your stress/anxiety under control should let these phantom sensations fade away.
Cordially,
Neil
Hei Neil
Thank ypu so much for your answers.
Your assessments are very interesting.
One year back my sensitivity to sounds became somewhat more noticeable,got a little more pain and anxity in my body,,due to burnout and constantly protect yourself from being infected by corona. Has fortunately escaped corona ,so far.
Then from May this year all sounds became more borhersome,,and driving the car on new summer tires and engine speed was absolutely horrible.
I was almost shocked,and even more worried and anxious.
At the end of May J became completely deaf in my left ear.But only in the evening an at night.
Was at the hospital for examination of sudden deafness,but it was not,and the hearing returned in the left ear.
New examinations with otoscope binoculars and tests can not find anything wrong in left ear.But the right ear has a wide and powerful retracted eardrum and much hearing loss.
As J told before Ct-Xray shows slight thickning of the cholesteatoma and auditory bone incus is destroyed in right ear.The ear is dry and not so fullfilled,so the doctor will see it off for six months.
My sound in my ears is constant humming and hissing.From all sounds the engine starts revving up,also when J walk.And when J brush my teeth it is bad,and when J eat something harder food.
But worse of all are the bass sounds from speakers and diesel locomotive.
J can use hearing protection against these horrible basssounds,then the sounds are blocked,but tiring to use for long time.J can feel as it something in my left ear,,but there is everything in order in the x-ray,and no wax and tests of the eardrum is okay.
Doctor Neil,,do you think the hearing bone destructions and transmission of signals creates these hyperacusius aqnd humming?
Or is it my worries and fears and anexieties.
J live so close to the railway line about 100m,and the sound of the locomotive thunders in the ear and body…..Best wishes from Sven-Erik…Norway…
Hi Sven-Erik:
I really think most of your problems are related to your levels of stress and anxiety. As they go up, so do your ear problems. This is because tinnitus, hyperacusis and TTTS are all psychosomatic conditions so have a physical component and a psychological component. Even if the physical component doesn’t change, the increasing psychological component (anxiety, stress) is making matters worse.
I’m not addressing the cholesteatoma in your right ear since that is a medical problem and I don’t see it as affecting your tinnitus/hyperacusis/TTTS. You could expect to have tinnitus in your right ear due to the hearing loss in that ear. That would be “normal”. But when tinnitus turns into reactive tinnitus or hyperacusis or TTTS, you know that there is a major psychological component affecting things.
You want to get your hyperacusis under control so you don’t have to wear ear protectors when the sounds are not too loud for people with normal hearing. Over-wearing ear protectors just makes hyperacusis worse and worse.
As I see it, you first need to work on getting your overall anxiety under control.
Cordially,
Neil
Hei again Doctor Neil.
Thank you so much again,you have given me so many helpful answers..J am very grateful now.
J probably have reactive tinnitus and hyperacusius,and very sensitive to many sounds.
These swymtoms are made worse by anxiety and stress,J understand that now.
J can actualy tighten the eardrum in left ear,when J tense my face,then J feel the eardrum vibrate.
You have used a lot of time on me Mr.Neil.
But i take the opportunity to ask again.
Is there any other natural explanation for why there is much more humming when J brush my teeth,and chew food.
And espeacially all bass sounds from speakers and locomotives and engines,increases the hum so much,,..in my head it sounds like a Scooter engine.
J will do my best Neil..as you have told me….work on getting anxiety and stress to be much ,much lower.
Thank you Neil..J wish you all the best from Me…….Sven-Erik.
Hi Sven-Erik:
I think that brushing your teeth or chewing food causes your tinnitus to get worse because you may have TMJ or vertebrae misalignments. By doing those things superactivates/irritates your trigeminal, facial or other nearby nerves, causing somatosensory tinnitus to get worse. When you are not using the muscles enervated by the offending nerves, your somatosensory tinnitus drops to a low level or disappears.
You can have the somatosensory tinnitus piggybacked on top of your existing neurophysiologic tinnitus–so it just sounds like your neurophysiologic tinnitus gets worse, rather than having two distinct kinds of tinnitus with totally different causes.
It seems that you have reactive tinnitus to low-frequency sounds (locomotives, bass, motors, etc.) rather than to the higher frequency sounds which is much more common. I don’t know why this is. I’ve not dealt with someone with low-frequency reactive tinnitus, but I assume the treatment is the same as for all reactive tinnitus. Although in your case with the locomotives regularly running past your place, it makes it hard to gradually increase your sensitivity to these sounds.
Cordially,
Neil
Hey Neil, very nice thread!
I wanted to ask you something.
I’ve read online that having tinnitus can lead to hyperacusis but this does not seem to be the way I got hyperacusis.
One day I was driving my car and I had my new Apple Watch on and I have a sports exhaust on my car. Well for fun I opened up the decibel reader on the Apple Watch just testing the features on my new watch and it was reading like 90 decibels at some spots.
I got scared I’ve probably been damaging my hearing for years driving this car and started having anxiety about it!
I’ve always had a low volume tinnitus since I can remember but only in extreme quiet environments.
Well after all of this worrying I feel like I developed some of the symtoms of tonic tensor tympani syndrome. Then I developed hyperacusis sensitivity to noise!
Do these conditions make tinnitus louder because now my tinnitus seems louder as I can hear it when I press against my pillow at night. I also hear it in quiet rooms now louder than it was before.
Could me worrying I damaged my hearing cause hyperacusis? Hyperacusis seems to be what came first before louder tinnitus. From what I read online hyperacusis typically comes from having tinnitus.
Thanks Neil! Just trying to figure out how and what I got to do to cure this! If you need more details please let me know and thanks so much, look forward to your reply.
Hi Josh:
Tinnitus CAN lead to loudness hyperacusis, BUT both can occur together, or you can get hyperacusis without getting tinnitus, so it is not a given. You have to be careful about what you read on the Internet as there is so much misinformation or misleading information there.
Loudness hyperacusis, like tinnitus, is a psychosomatic condition–there is a physical component and there is a psychological component. As you have found out, the psychological component is the more powerful component. If you had not worried and become anxious about your tinnitus, you probably never would have developed loudness hyperacusis as 90 dB sounds that you were expecting are unlikely to cause tinnitus or hyperacusis. (Now, if it were a sudden, unexpected sound, that could be different.)
It’s not that TTTS or hyperacusis make your tinnitus louder, but that due to your anxiety and worry about your ears, you now PERCEIVE your tinnitus as louder.
To get yourself back on track, you need to get your anxiety under control and I’ll bet your tinnitus will drop back to its old level and your hyperacusis/TTTS will fade away.
The secret is to think of your tinnitus, NOT as a threat to your well-being (you re worrying about damaging your ears), but as a totally unimportant, useless sound that it is safe for you to ignore. Then ignore it and focus on the loves of your life.
Cordially,
Neil
Hei Neil
Thnk you again for all your answers,and your knowledge.
Especially the court sensory part,and perhaps hyper mobility.
Jfeel like J,m getting worse every week.
J have to learn to live with this and find some techniques for sound enrichment,also when drive my car.It will be a lonely life,when you can not stand many types of noise.
Maybe J have to operate for cholesteatoma and ear bone in 5 months,the doctor will examine then
Maybe it can help,,time will show.
You are amazing and able to answer and help so many.
Thank you Dr.Neil.
All the best,,from Sven-Erik
I’m so glad I found this site!
I started having what I considered the classic TTTS “fluttering/thumping in eardrum” thing in 2019. It wasn’t bad, I’d have a bout of frantic thumping in my ear for maybe 20 seconds and it would stop. This would happen once every few days at the worst. I Googled it and started taking magnesium and this helped for a long time.
I also have TMJ in my left ear, not very painful but sometimes get a burning feeling in my ear canal, especially if I wear headphones too long. I also have a fullness feeling in my left ear.
Then last year I started getting a faint “whooshing” in my ear (mostly left, but both sides), it didn’t seem like pulsatile tinnitus; it was faint, also only lasted maybe a few seconds, maybe few times a day at its worst, now it’s much less frequent than that. Magnesium also really cleared this up (I noticed a big difference as soon as I took magnesium).
So the thumping/whooshing both seemed under control for a long time. I get the thumping for several seconds maybe every other month, if that? No big deal.
Then a few weeks ago I went to an outdoor concert that seemed rather loud and the speakers got that screechy “feedback” thing.
A day or so later I noticed what I thought was water humming through the pipes at home. But it turns out it’s in my left ear.
As soon as I realized it was my ears, it got worse. A lot more frequent, almost non-stop now. White noise helps it calm down, but otherwise is there most of the time. It will stop when I talk and can sometimes stop sometimes when I change my head position. I can sometimes touch the zygomatic bone area of my cheek and that will stop it.
It’s always humming or rumbling. I sometimes feel that classic “thump” in my eardrum at the same time. I have a lot of anxiety and if this is TTTS (when I first had the thumping, I assumed it was TTTS based on what Dr. Google said) and I believe that the anxiety has made it much worse than before, when I only assumed it was noisy pipes.
Am I right in assuming this is probably TTTS or is it something else? I feel the loud concert triggered this. Before this, the thumping was not bad at all. I so appreciate all the help you’ve given everyone here. My apologies for the information overload.
Hi Jacquelyn:
You probably have TTTS as well as some tinnitus. You want to protect your ears from loud sounds in the future so things don’t continue to get worse. Your ears can only stand so much abuse from loud sounds before they begin to go “wonky”.
If you tend to be high-strung and anxious, that will only make your TTTS and tinnitus worse. So if this is the case, learn to calm down and hopefully your TTTS and tinnitus will calm down too. And keep taking the magnesium as it seems to be helping you. Personally, I take magnesium threonate as it is the most bioavailable form of magnesium.
Cordially,
Neil
THANK YOU so much. I feel some hope now. I am sure the anxiety is making it worse. I will work in methods to reduce anxiety. And thank you, I will get that type of magnesium you recommend.
Fortunately I don’t typically listen to loud music (I wasn’t expecting this concert to be so loud). I will definitely be protective of loud sounds from now on.
Neil, i wanted to ask you. If Hyperacusis/TTTS Anxiety driven. Are they reversable? if i did not have hyperacusis and then was around a loud sound and got scared i damaged my hearing and then i got Hyperacusis/TTTS sysmtoms does this sound like a pathway to these conditions, does it make sense. Now that i have these i am even more scared. I have pain hyperacusis and not loudness hyperacusis. Im very scared ill never live a normal life again and ill need to stay hiding in my room for the rest of my life.
Please help me DR i need some info thank you.
Hi Ryan:
Anxiety plays a LARGE part in developing and exacerbating tinnitus, hyperacusis and TTTS. Thus, getting your anxiety under control plays a large part in recovering from, and bringing these conditions under your control.
You hit the nail on the head. That’s the way it can occur. And now being even more scared makes things worse. There is nothing to be afraid of. You need to learn how to calm down and to properly deal with these conditions and all will be well.
You belief system becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. So if you believe it will get worse and worse and you’ll have it forever, you likely will. But if you believe the opposite–that you can get better (and then do positive things to bring this about), you will get better.
So, hiding in your room will only make things worse. That is not a good way to deal with it. Having a “safe haven” to escape to at times when you really need it is another matter entirely. That is a good coping strategy when used properly.
Tell me more about your pain hyperacusis. Do all sounds cause you pain? If not, which ones?
Where do you experience your pain? How often?
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks so much for the reply. When it started, my ears felt funny maybe almost like i had an infection. I went to the doctors 2-3 times and all said no infection. So i than booked an appointment with an ENT, he also cleared me from any ear infection. I mentioned to him about hyperacusis and TTTS he said most likely just an anxiety issue.
Than i started getting severe constant pain in my ears like super severe bringing me to tears and that takes a lot! It would be severe at times then would calm down to moderate but still always be a sensation in my ears. The pain felt deep in the ear like literally on the ear drum. Then it seemed to have gotten better than i had 3-4 major setbacks. I was couch bound for 2 months. Since i started to rear your thread and reply about trying to get my anixety under control i feel like it is helping a little bit now.
2 months ago when it first started, every sound hurt my ears. Literally all sounds, then it eased off and now i can tolerate most sounds until above 100DB, dishes were a huge problem but since reading this form they arent really an issue anymore. You know i almost feel a lot better now even typing this but i still have tinnitus and i still have crazy burning sensations in my ears unfortunately
Hi Ryan:
What happened in the couple of weeks before your ears felt funny? Did you expose your ears to any sudden or loud sounds? This is a common reason for symptoms such as yours. Or did you have a cold, flu or any other virus active in your body back then? It’s good to try to determine the underlying cause, as that helps in the treatment.
What caused the setbacks–loud sounds? infections? or what?
If you can tolerate sounds up to 100 dB, what’s the problem? You shouldn’t be exposing your ears to sounds above around 85 dB or so without ear protectors.
From what you have said, I’ll bet the burning issues are a result of exposing your ears to loud sounds. Is this right? Some people develop loudness hyperacusis from such events. Others develop pain (burning) sensations. And some develop both.
And as I said before, anxiety really exacerbates both.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Bauman. I have problems with my ear. I had often ear infections in it before. I had fluttering once. But then once I lost low frequency hearing about 3 years ago, and was diagnosed with cochlear viral infection. In few months it all cleared up, however in 1 year hearing loss came back, except I was losing it for about half a day. Doctors thought menieeres desease, however tympanic diagram came back that membrane is not moving freely. Tympanic tube was installed, not much help. Now I’m having issues with balance, I feel off although look and walk normal. Doctors did videonystamography, everything is fine. Balance tests, fine. temporal bone CT scan, normal. MRI normal. But I feel off, my hearing is normal when they test it, but I have tinnitis, balance, and hearing loss sometimes. Low salt diet, diuretic, betahistine doesn’t seem to help. Could this be a problem with tynpanic tensor muscles? I’m losing hope. Thanks
Hi Vlad:
When you say your balance is “off”, exactly what do you mean? Describe how you feel in more detail.
How often do you have this temporary hearing loss? How long does it last? And even more importantly, what brings it on. Have you found a common denominator for it?
When they say your hearing is normal, all it means is that you don’t have greater than a 25 dB hearing loss at any test frequency. However, you may still have differences in hearing between your ears. On your audiogram, is this shown to be true. If your hearing is not the same in both ears, some people feel off balance.
What brought on the balance issues? What changed just before these balance issues began?
When did your tinnitus begin in relation to all the above?
The more complete your answers, hopefully the better I’ll be able to figure out what is going on with your ears.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr Baum.
Unfortunately since last time I wrote this message, I was diagnosed with Cochlear Hydrops. I was fitted with “micro wick” from dr Siverstein, I use drops of steroid. We will see if it helps. My hearing is very good right now, but sometimes it lowers by about 20db. Thanks
Hi Vlad:
If it doesn’t work, let me know because I have some ideas of what might be going on and the cure for them.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Bauman.
Thanks for reply. They already removed microwhick. Hearing test shows no hearing loss. Now the time will tell. I feel very unsteady although look normal from outside. Dr. Silverstein suggested balance rehab exercises. I will try them, I will keep you updated. If it does not work out I will come see you for your treatment. Thank you so much!!!
Hi Vlad:
If your balance doesn’t improve, then contact me again and I’ll try to help you find the right solution. Note that I’m not a medical doctor and thus I do NOT treat people. I help you understand what is going on with your ears and suggest treatments that I feel will work in your case. We can discuss this more fully via a Zoom chat in the future if your present treatment doesn’t work.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman
Unfortunately treatment from Dr Silverstein did not work. I still get muffed hearing, and stability issues, plus it gives me headaches too. Seems like much worse during bad weather. If you have some ideas I’m willing to try them. Thanks
Hi Vlad:
When nothing else seems to work, I often suggest a person go to an upper cervical chiropractor (not a conventional one) and see whether their cervical vertebrae are in proper alignment. Your C1 and C2 (the top two vertebrae) don’t need to be out by much to cause balance issues. For example, mine was out just 3 degrees in one direction and 3 degrees in another direction and that didn’t give me any pain, but I began having bouts of vertigo.
After 2 treatments I was out less than 1 degree combined, and since then I’ve never had another problem with balance. (That was about 7 years ago now.)
Such small subluxations aren’t visible to typical doctors and thus they don’t think they could cause vestibular (balance) problems, but they do.
You can find an upper cervical chiropractor by going to https://www.upcspine.com/ and clicking on the “Practitioners” tab.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks. I will try upper cervical chiropractor per your suggestion. Will keep you updated.
Hey Neil. Josh again, I have developed a nasty outer ear infection in my right ear. My tinnitus is crazy in that ear now.. I’ve had tinnitus in both ears for a year but only bothersome in quiet for the most part but with This ear infection mt tinnitus is way up in the infected ear.
The doctor prescribe me cipro ear drops because my ear is full of puss and my hearing is muffled as well.
My question is. Do you think this ear infection is going to cause me permanent damage and my tinnitus will stay this loud for ever now? Will my hearing be muffled for good. I’ve read bad stories online about ear infections damaging the ears. I’ve had this infection for 4-5 days started treating it with the drops 2 days ago. Just really scared.
Any ideas?
Thanks niel,
Josh
Hi Josh:
Personally, I don’t recommend using Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) unless there is no other antibiotic that will do the job because I hear from so many people who have caused ear problems from taking this drug.
I’d ask your doctor for a less ototoxic drug, perhaps one of the Cephalosporin antibiotics if they will do the job.
Ear infections don’t have to cause permanent damage, but they can. So you do want to treat it–just use a drug that is not as ototoxic as the fluoroquinolone class of drugs are which includes all the drugs ending in “floxacin”.
If you don’t want to use drugs, there are two other things you can try depending on how severe the infection is. One is apple cider vinegar. The other is hydrogen peroxide.
Cordially,
Neil
Hey thanks so much for the reply. I had no choice but to use the drops because my ear was so full of puss. My ears have returned back to how they were before my ear infection which I’m sk grateful for. I also read it was ototoxic as well which scared me but according to some online sources they claim the ear drops aren’t ototoxic unless it’s able to get behind your eardrum for example if it’s ruptured. Is this true? I did use the drops as my ear infection was so bad I had to do some time thing.
Hi Josh:
Glad your ear infection cleared up without your experiencing any ototoxic side effects.
It may be generally true that you typically don’t get ototoxic side effects unless you have a ruptured eardrum or tubes in your ears, but that is not always the case, so you still want to be careful.
Cordially,
Neil
Neil i wanted to ask you, all these conditions you say are basically caused by emotions and anxiety, have you ever had to deal with any of these symptoms before your self?
how do you not develop these conditions knowing they exist by having anxiety you might get these conditions?
Hi Josh:
All these conditions are psychosomatic in nature, which means they have a physical component and a psychological (emotional) component. The physical component may precipitate the initial condition, but the emotional component exacerbates it and can make it much worse. Sometimes the emotional component seems to precipitate the condition rather than the other way around.
I can’t say that I have had to deal with the emotional component of these conditions because I have kept my emotions (anxiety) under control so it has not exacerbated them.
It is not a given that having high anxiety will cause such conditions, but it can. That is one reason it is so important to learn how to control your anxiety so you don’t set yourself up for such things.
As the Bible says, “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof”. This means that you have enough problems today, without borrowing some from tomorrow or the future. In other words quit worrying about what might happen and just deal with what you are currently experiencing. This all boils down to “calm down” and get your anxiety under control.
Cordially,
Neil
Neil,
I want to as you about this I have spent the last month trying to track down what is happening to me. Quick summary.
30 days ago I got covid. No symptoms except a clogged right ear. It went away in 4 days or so but due to that I got what I believe as temporary tinnitis due to the blockage (in retrospect). The tinnitus was bothersome as I had it tied to covid and “worst case” scenarios began running through my head. Due to this the problem seemed to get worse and not go away but it changed to a different condition,
What I could describe it is a pulsating throbbing that was inconsistent in the background at all times. I tried sleeping with earbuds on with tinnitus YouTube videos but I would end up with my ear screaming and when I calmed down the ear would calm down but still the occasional “pulse” morris code style in the background. It definitely seems to be tied to both the amount of sound pumped into the ear (and volume) and also tied to my stress level.
Over the next few weeks I became fixated on this issue. I went to an ENT in the beginning (prior to learning about TTTS) and wasn’t given any answers. I’m going to get a hearing test this week as a cautionary step.
I have put myself under a tremendous amount of stress over the past month. I was entirely convinced it was hearing damage and was something I was going to have to live with but when I read this page and the comments it was like a ray of hope had been given to me.
I read that this situation is correlated with stress and to say I have been under it the past 30 days would be an understatement. Is it possible based on my explanation that I have this and when I begin to accept that things are going to be OK and the stress reduces for an extended period of time this will go away over time? Do my symptoms show that I may have TTTS?
Thank you for your comments and knowledge. You are the only person I know that is discussing this specific condition.
Dave
Hi David:
I don’t really think you got tinnitus from having a clogged ear for 4 days. It’s possible but I think unlikely. More likely, your tinnitus could be a result of the Covid, and certainly exacerbated by your anxiety and stress and focusing on your tinnitus.
Is the pulsating/throbbing you experience in unison with your heartbeat, or distinctive from it?
Why do you think it could be TTTS and not pulsatile tinnitus or even Morse code typewriter) tinnitus?
Each of these conditions can be from a distinctly separate source so figuring out what is going on is important to knowing the best treatment for it.
If you tinnitus gets worse in response to increasing background sound levels and calms down as the background sound drops, then you also have some degree of reactive tinnitus which means you have some hyperacusis too.
And of course, excessive stress and anxiety can make any kind of tinnitus worse, so you want to get yourself under control. That is probably the most important thing you can do. Once you calm down, you may find that you don’t have any issues anymore. And if you do, they may be so little that they don’t bother you. If they do, I can probably help you overcome these issues.
So, learn to relax. Practice relaxation exercises and relaxing breathing exercises too. Don’t focus on your ears, but focus on the loves of your life. The more you focus on your ears, the worse things become.
Cordially,
Neil
Neil,
Thanks for your response. What I am hearing is more of a flutter than any kind of tone. It is not tied to my heartbeat. Also when I move my jaw or bit down on the right side I get a flare. From what I am reading the Tensor muscle is tied to the Trigeminial nerve. Does that line up?
Thanks,
Dave
Hi David:
From what you say, I agree with you that you are most likely experiencing TTTS. And as you know, the big half of TTTS is stress/anxiety. So getting your anxiety under control is of paramount importance in controlling TTTS.
Since your trigeminal nerve controls both you tensor tympani muscle AND your TMJ, both conditions can be interrelated. So properly treating your TMJ AND your anxiety may be all that is needed to bring your TTTS under control.
Cordially,
Neil
Neil,
Thanks again. Assuming the stress can be restrained due to this situation what is a realistic time frame for the TTTS to go away. Weeks, months?
My concern is my jaw…again no pain but overtime I chew or extend jaw it seems to aggravate this muscle by flaring (no pain though). I’m wondering if this jaw issue caused the TTTS or the other way around.
Anyways, thanks again for any info.
Dave
Hi David:
It should go away with the stress and anxiety–if that is what is causing it.
It’s the jaw issue that causes the TTTS. The TMJ aggravates or hyperstimulates the trigeminal nerve and TTTS is one result. So you want to get this under control too.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Neil
I am wondering if you are able to give me some advice. A couple months ago I got hit on the right ear with my headband and I suddenly felt my eardrum go tense. from this point I felt like my ear was blocked, had a lot of pressure and it started reacting to external sounds as well as reacting to my own voice. It sounds like a boom/thump in reaction to these. A couple weeks after this started, I accidentally got hit on my problem ear by someone’s palm. A few days after this happened I started getting dizzy. After a couple weeks the dizziness settled, but then I was leaning my head towards the right (my problem ear), and scratching the outside of my ear, and when I straightened my head the dizziness came back. my dizziness is not like vertigo, it’s like my eyes cannot catch up to what I’m looking at. It feels like the floor is moving, and when I look down I feel horrible and like stumbling. i feel off balance all the time. epley manouver didn’t help. physical therapists didn’t see nystagmus. do you have any awareness whether TTTS can cause dizziness like this? i have heard conflicting information that TTTS affects only the muscles and has nothing to do with the inner ear so i don’t really understand how it’s making me dizzy. It makes me think it’s something to do with the hit on my ear but then you’re saying dizziness CAN be a symptom of TTTS. any other idea what this dizziness can be caused by? I don’t really mind the TTTS symptoms like the thumping or pressure in elevators as that something I can deal with. But his dizziness is debilitating. I am going to see a doctor to discuss potential TTTS surgery but I don’t know if that surgery will help with the dizziness or make it worse. I’m very scared. Thanks so much
Hi Anna:
The whack with the headband and hand caused you acoustic trauma–just like exposing your ear to a sudden loud sound. This typically results in a muffled feeling, feeling of fullness or pressure, tinnitus, sound sensitivity (loudness hyperacusis), balance problems, etc.
Some of these problems surface almost immediately, while others develop over a period of a couple of weeks as you have found.
The Epley maneuver doesn’t help your kind of balance issues since the otoconia in your inner ears weren’t displaced. This has more to do with hyperactive nerves and your vestibulo-ocular reflex. Your eyes and the balance system in your inner ears work together to give you a stable horizon. When the vestibulo-ocular reflex is damaged, you get weird balance and visual problems.
I wonder if you jerked when the headband snapped on your ear, or more likely when the hand hit your ear. If this is so, you may have slightly dislocated various vertebrae in your neck. This pinches some nerves. So if some of the vestibulocochlear nerve fibers are pinched, they can’t pass signals properly and you can have balance and/or hearing problems.
Since this has gone on for a couple of months and your doctors haven’t been able to help you, I’d suggest you go to an upper cervical chiropractor and have them make sure your cervical vertebrae are in proper alignment. Don’t go to conventional chiropractors for this as they are not expert in the kind of precise adjustments you’d need. You can find upper cervical chiropractors by going to http://www.upcspine.com/ and clicking on the “Practitioners” button.
Once you know that your neck is properly aligned and is holding its proper position, then see what symptoms you have remaining. This could be all it takes to get rid of the balance issues.
I’d strongly recommend AGAINST getting TTTS surgery at this point–it should be your last resort. As I see it, the surgery won’t fix the balance problems and can cause other problems with hyperacusis.
At the same time, you need to calm down and get your anxiety under control since TTTS and related conditions are affected by your anxiety.
Let me know how it goes for you.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr.Neil
I just have a few quick questions for you
1. Do you think it is possible that middle ear myoclonus can be habituated just like tinnitus?
2. Is there a specific magnesium that I need to take for my middle ear myoclonus, or can I just take any magnesium?
3. Do you have any tips on how I can control my stress and anxiety and focus on my hobbies while not being distracted by my ear spasms?
4. Is there any way that I can fall sleep better at night while my middle ear myoclonus is still bothering me?
5. Is tensor tympani myoclonus the same thing as tinnitus or is it a comepletely different condition?
Thank you
Ori
Hi Ori:
1. You can habituate to many different things, including to some degree, middle ear myoclonus. However, there are treatments that in many cases, can eliminate this condition so you don’t have to habituate to it.
2. You want a magnesium that is bioavailable to your body. This means it needs to be bonded to an amino acid. The forms of minerals that are bonded to an amino acid end in “ate” such as magnesium citrate and magnesium threonate. The latest information is that magnesium threonate is the most bioavailable form of magnesium. This is what I take as a daily magnesium supplement.
3. If your ears are fluttering away, its hard to ignore them if you are sitting quietly say reading or writing or are doing other quiet activities. I’d think it would be easier to ignore the fluttering, etc. if you were doing something physical such as playing football or soccer, or chopping wood, or diving and swimming, etc, etc. Because when you do this, all your other muscles are active so you won’t notice your TTTS as much. These activities may even calm in down as a nice side effect.
When you are focusing on physical activities, you are busy burning up nervous energy so you won’t be so focused on your TTTS. The result will be that you are much more relaxed afterwards.
4. See 3 above. I think being healthily-tired and not so fully of anxiety after a good work-out would let you fall asleep easier. And listening to relaxing music as you fall asleep should help you also.
5. TTTS is a totally different animal than tinnitus although some may call it a form of tinnitus. True tinnitus is a totally phantom sound generated within neuronal networks. TTTS is an audible sound caused by muscular movement. It falls into the same category as pulsatile tinnitus which we call tinnitus but technically it is not tinnitus since it is also an audible sound caused by muscular movement. Both TTTS and pulsatile tinnitus are somatosounds, not tinnitus sounds no matter what some people may call them.
Cordially,
Neil
Thanks for the reply. I was just wondering if magnesium helps with hyperacusis and sound sensitivity. I just bought a bottle of magnesium citrate gummies and each gummy has about 83 mg. I read that every adult needs around 400-420 mg but I also just want to make sure if I should take more than 420 or not.
Also, If I have hyperacusis, should I continue to listen to music with a normal volume, or should I just stay away from using headphones completely?
Hi Ori:
You get a certain amount of magnesium in your daily diet, but most people are grossly low in the magnesium intake, thus the need for supplements. But you don’t want to overdo it either.
I can’t say that magnesium specifically will help you with your hyperacusis or not. But it is necessary for ear health and proper functioning. It should help with TTTS though.
When you have loudness hyperacusis you don’t want to listen to anything that makes your ears worse. A good volume level to listening to music with headphones is to set the volume at the same level you’d comfortably listen to a lecture or someone talking. Then it should not be too loud. Note that when you have loudness hyperacusis your ears don’t stand for sudden changes in volume like normal ears do–so it is easier on your ears to hear music that more or less stays at a constant volume.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman-
I hope you don’t mind if I bother you one more time… I’m clearly starting to dwell on this too much, but is TTTS harmful to the ear? Or is this something I can worry less about (as I see worrying can bring it on more frequently)… also, do you think teeth clenching and/or TMJ can result in an overactive tensor tympani?
I hope you are well. Thanks as always.
Alyssa
Hi Alyssa:
No, TTTS is not permanently harming your ears so you don’t have to worry about that. You can get ear pain while it is happening from over-stimulating your eardrum, just like you can get sore muscles from over-exercising them.
Teeth clenching (bruxism) and TMJ can also be related to TTTS because they are all enervated by the same nerve–the trigeminal nerve. So when it becomes hyper-activated due to TMJ issues, it can also send spurious signals to your tensor tympani muscle causing TTTS. So you want to calm this nerve down by removing all the stressors–for example, by properly aligning your TMJ and teeth so you no longer have those problems.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman
2 months ago I had an ear infection with hearing loss of 70% in my right ear. With antibiotics the ear infection healed well. Unfortunately, I still have a lot of complaints today. Those are:
– burning sensation in both ears
– hyperacusis
– tinnitus (high ringing sound)
– clicking sounds when I talk or swallow
– a fluttering sensation and a blocked right ear
– spasms in my right ear with high or loud sounds (for example yelling kids)
I still have a minor hearing loss, but I guess I already had it and it’s not caused by this ear infection.
According to my ENT doctor everything with my ears is fine and I just ‘have to give it some time’. She doesn’t want to talk about TTTS. I’m very anxious about this condition. I do yoga, walk a lot and try to relax as much as possible. Also started with an Snri (efexor) to reduce the anxiety and taking some supplements such as magnesium. I also eat healthy. Dued to the anxiety I also started to clench my jaws.
Do you have any tips for me to help me with these conditions? Any idea what causes this? Any chances that this will get better and I just ‘have to give it some time’ like my doctor says?
Thank you a lot
Hi Lotte:
Before I can answer your questions, I need more information as what you have described doesn’t make sense for the treatments you received. What you have described sounds like acoustic shock syndrome, but that is typically caused by experiencing sudden, unexpected loud sounds, not from ear infections and drugs.
Some questions. Did you have a middle ear infection or inner ear infection, or both? Did you have a conductive loss, sensorineural loss or both (mixed loss). If you have it, I’d like to see a copy of your audiogram showing this “70%” loss. (Note: you can’t measure hearing loss in percentages so that figure is totally bogus. You only measure hearing loss in decibels which is logarithmic in nature, not linear like percentages are.) I’d also like to see your audiogram after your hearing returned to show what you have now.
What drug (antibiotics) did you take for this infection?
When did you begin taking the Effexor (Venlafaxine) in relation to this episode–after the infection went away, before, or when?
All these symptoms you list–exactly when did you first notice them? Were you exposed to any loud sounds during this episode that might have caused them?
The kind of symptoms you have are not visible so of course your ENT said your ears were fine–but that is not the case as you know or else you wouldn’t have all these symptoms.
Basically, I think these symptoms are part of your startle reflex and resulting anxiety.
If you’d rather write to me privately, my email is at the bottom of every page on this website.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. Bauman. I have been dealing with multiple issues for almost two months now that all seemed to start with TTTS in my right ear. At first I noticed an intermittent vibrating/roaring sound in my right ear after waking up one day, and then I began to feel pain around and in both ears as well as a blocked feeling in my right ear over the next week, for which my doctor prescribed me nasal spray for suspected Eustachian Tube Dysfunction which did not help. I was then referred to an ENT who said I had no signs of infection or hearing loss, and the pain was most likely caused by TMJ or wisdom tooth issues. Two weeks later most of the previous pain went away, however I began to develop hyperacusis in both ears which hasn’t gone away. Three days ago I went to my GP to get earwax in my left ear removed and after inspecting both ears determined that I had a lot of wax in them and so he decided to irrigate using a syringe. The day after, my hyperacusis felt especially worse and still feels worse today, and I am unsure whether the irrigation permanently made it worse from the water pressure or if it is just a temporary escalation that will resolve. My next course of action is to see an oral surgeon two weeks from now. As a result of still having TTTS in my right ear (and recently feeling like it may be in left ear now too), as well as hyperacusis, I have been feeling severely anxious and depressed about everything which I fear may be prohibiting my healing process. Any advice on how I can remain calm and positive for the time being? How likely is it that my ears have been made worse as a result of irrigation? What do you suspect is the cause is, and is there hope that my symptoms will resolve? Thank you.
Hi Peter:
Ignorant doctors. They assume that if you have a feeling of fullness, it must be a clogged Eustachian tube and prescribe nasal sprays which do nothing as you have found. The problem is much more likely related to your trigeminal nerve not working properly due to being pinched in your neck or hyperactivated or irritated.
What I want to know first is what happened in the few days before you first noticed the TTTS. Did you expose your ears to loud sounds or a sudden, short, unexpected loud sound? What you describe sounds like some sort of acoustic trauma that commonly results in TTTS, ear pain and a feeling of fullness in the affect ear, plus tinnitus and often hyperacusis.
Note that symptoms of acoustic shock don’t necessarily develop immediately, but develop over a period of a couple of weeks such as you have experienced.
What you describe just doesn’t happen for no reason at all. The trick is to find the reason for the cause, as that dictates what the most effective treatment will be.
When you have hyperacusis, you have to tell your doctor to VERY GENTLY use irrigation. Too much pressure will exacerbate hyperacusis.
If it were me, I’d go to an upper cervical chiropractor, not a conventional one, and make sure my upper vertebrae were in proper alignment. Conventional chiropractors don’t do this.
You can find an upper cervical guy at http://www.upcspine.com/ and click on “Practitioners”.
Often TMJ problems basically stem from misaligned vertebrae in your neck. So getting the “foundation” properly aligned is the starting point. Then if your TMJ is still a problem, your oral surgeon may help you. But if the basic cause is misalignment of your vertebrae, then anything he tries to do is like building on shifting sand.
All of this can cause you anxiety and depression–and this just makes your hyperacusis worse. So you need to learn to relax. There are lots of good relaxation exercises on the Internet. Also, learning breathing exercises is another good way to calm yourself down. And the good thing is that you can practice them anywhere and anytime without anyone knowing you are doing them.
Get back to me with the answers to my questions and see whether anything pops up.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for responding Dr. Bauman! I really appreciate all of the information you have provided, and I will try to see the upper cervical chiropractor soon and focus on my relaxation exercises in the meantime. To answer your question, during the days leading up to me noticing the TTTS, I had earbuds in for long periods of time, but was not listening at unsafe volumes besides one night where the music may have been just a bit too loud for maybe 15 minutes. I typically listen to music everyday but never at levels that are uncomfortable. Other than that I was not exposed to any loud sounds. Not sure if this would account for TMJ issues leading to TTTS, but I was also chewing a lot of gum pretty frequently at that time. I’d also like to mention that I was with family who all had Covid symptoms at the start of January except for me, but I never took a test, so I’m not sure if my symptoms may have been a result of that situation or not. During the first couple weeks of TTTS I would sometimes wake up and the TTTS would be a very loud buzzing sound that would go away after 15-20 minutes which hasn’t happened since but I feel like I should mention it. I really wish I had known that the irrigation would make my symptoms worse, however even when I said I was experiencing hyperacusis, my GP just decided to choose that method of cleaning without my approval and without telling me about any possible complications. I certainly will remember in the future. As an update, my ears have felt just a little bit less sensitive since the irrigation, but the TTTS still remains the same in both ears. I also have an urgent question about an upcoming event which is that I have an MRI scheduled very soon by my doctor to rule out possible serious causes of my symptoms, however I am extremely anxious about going through with it as I fear the noise may make my TTTS and hyperacusis severely worse or permanent, and if it shows nothing wrong, I’d have damaged my ears for nothing. I called to see if they had silent scan MRI machines which I have read about, but they did not. I would like to be certain there’s no serious brain problems at fault, but I’m unsure if I want to take that risk right now. Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you once again for everything.
– Peter
Hi Peter:
If your TTTS is getting better bit by bit, that is a good sign.
As for the upcoming MRI, here’s what I’d do. Wear foam ear plugs and then put earmuff protectors over them. Make sure they are just ear protectors and not earphones. Some places actually talk to you via the earphones or play music through them. This is a BAD idea as adding sound to the already loud MRI can make things worse as some people have told me.
Thus, foam ear protectors and earmuff protectors–not earphones is the way to go.
Apart from that, you need to get your anxiety under control. Remain calm. One way to do this during the actual MRI is to shut your eyes before you go into the tube so you don’t get claustrophobia. Go to your “happy place” and stay there for the duration of the MRI. Your “happy place” could be anywhere–a south seas beach, a mountain vista or whatever turns your crank.
The “banging around” of the MRI shouldn’t hurt your ears at all if you do the above. I can relax so well during an MRI that I almost fall asleep. Never bothered my tinnitus in the least. You should be able to do the same.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello again Dr. Bauman. Thank you so much for your quick response. To clarify, you’re saying I should buy my own foam ear plugs and earmuff protectors? If so, do you have any recommendations? Or should I use the standard foam earplugs the MRI facility has and ask if they have earmuff protectors instead of the earphones? I will try my hardest to control my anxiety during the test. Thanks for the advice. – Peter
Hi Peter:
No, I’m just saying wear double protection. If they don’t supply the foam ear protectors, bring your own. They should supply the earmuffs in any case.
If all they have is earphone earmuffs, you can wear them. Just make sure they are unplugged or the technician promises not to put any sounds into them.
Remember that the biggest problem when you have hyperacusis is your fear of the sounds of the MRI. That is why you need to get your emotions under control. By wearing double protection and going to your happy place you put the odds in your favor that nothing will happen to affect your hyperacusis.
Cordially,
Neil
I’d also like to mention that the MRI is a brain MRI so I am unsure of whether or not I could wear earmuff protectors or not.
Hi Peter:
It’s when you are having an MRI on your head that you need to wear the strongest ear protection. The earmuffs they supply shouldn’t affect the MRI results. They have no metal in them. Remember, they are doing a 3D picture of your head, slice by slice, so the earmuffs don’t get in the way as I understand it.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr, Bauman,
I’m currently dealing with some eardrum spasm in my left ear for a few weeks. It sounds like a thumping, like someone tapping on a microphone at irregular intervals, sometimes one thump, sometimes 2 in quick succession. It’s a physical sensation that I can feel. When it first started, it lasted for a whole day. The next day, there was some pain near my left jaw. After that, I started hearing jaw clicking and occasionally some minor discomfort when chewing. Although, maybe it was always there but I never paid attention to it, I only started reading about TMJ once the spasms started. Other than that, no other ear-related symptoms other than occasional minor earaches, no tinnitus, no ear fullness, no vertigo, etc. Note that I’m rather young in age so that might be a factor.
After a while, I noticed that the trigger for the thumping is usually when I do a deep yawn, stretch too hard, or a hard burp where my middle ear muscles contracts really hard as they normally do when you perform these actions. It does not trigger due to sound. I also noticed that if I try to minimalize my yawns or burps, the spasms don’t trigger. The episodic spasms usually last for either a few minutes, half an hour to an hour, and rarely for a full day.
I was also dealing with some shoulder and neck issues so I decided to visit a Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractor and had some x-rays done. I found out that I did have a C1 subluxation, a reverse neck curve, and bunch of other misalignments in my upper and lower spine. I figure it was due to years of sitting with a bad posture. They fixed that C1 subluxation during the first few visits and I’m currently in the middle of a treatment plan of getting it all to hold.
A theory I have is that when I was doing wall chin tucks for my shoulder pains (since i thought it was a pinched nerve), I was pressing on my subluxated C1 too hard which might have caused my TMJ issues, or irritated my trigeminal nerves.
I’m on my fourth week of the upper cervical chiropractic plan, my C1 is holding, and only really get the eardrum spasms either early in the morning when I subconsciously stretch, or decide to test for triggers (can confirmed when I tested and burped reaally hard, my middle muscles contracted and the spasms lasted for the whole day). Other than that, my whole body has been feeling better.
I’m hoping that after everything stays aligned, my TMJ-like issues starts to heal itself and the thumping will eventually go away. My dentist confirmed that I don’t show any signs of bruxism and clenching so it might all have started from my C1 being out. I haven’t been to an ENT but feel like since I don’t have any other ear issues, it might not be needed.
I’m wondering if everything I wrote lines up with your theory that the c1/tmj could be the problem, especially if my TTTS isn’t trigger by sound and rather a deep yawn, burp, or stretch. I saw an article that could also support this theory.
https://mysoundtherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/TTS-and-hyperacusis.pdf
I’ve done so much googling/research these past few week and would like to know your thoughts or comments since you seem to be one of the only people that wrote about issues that line up with my symptoms.
Although I don’t know if you’re an expert on TMJ or the Cervical Spine, how long do you think it will take for the TTTS to subside. Thanks!
Hi John:
What happened in the few days before you first noticed the TTTS? Were your ears exposed to any sudden loud sound, or continuous loud sound? Or any “scary” or startling episode in your life?
The nerve that enervates your tensor tympani muscle is your trigeminal nerve. It also enervates your Eustachian tubes among other things. That is why you experience the TTTS when you yawn, stretch or burp–all things associated with your trigeminal nerve.
I don’t really think your TTTS is associated with your C1 subluxation. That is associated with hearing and balance issues.
Your trigeminal nerve is associated with your C4 or C5 vertebrae if I remember correctly. But since your whole neck was out of whack, getting the rest of it properly aligned could put a stop to your TTTS as you trigeminal nerve calms down. If the problem developed due to your trigeminal nerve being “pinched”, once the pressure is off it, the TTTS should go away in a few days I’d think.
However, if the problem is a hypervigilant trigeminal nerve due to your startle reflex being too sensitive, it can take longer as you need to learn to calm down.
You may also need to get your TMJ properly aligned if it is also involved in this.
Cordially,
Neil
That’s the weird part, I don’t remember any being exposed to any noticeable loud noises when it started. I am in a Work From Home environment and live in a fairly quiet neighborhood. I’ve never had any sort of history of being easily startled; in fact, quite the opposite. I guess the only recent “scary” episode was a death of a close family member but that was months ago. I also thought that might have been a trigger too initially.
You’re right, I checked my x-rays, and my C4 and C5 vertebrae are definitely misaligned towards my left, more so than the rest. I am definitely in the process getting the adjustments to hold.
Hi John:
Once your C4 and C5 and C anything else are all properly aligned, see if that takes care of your problem or not. At least you’ll know it won’t be a cervical problem.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr Bauman
I have been suffering with Eustachian Tube Dysfunction, Tinnitus since last October 2022. Ive seen Audiologists and ENTs a number of times and been given all clear on my Hearing tests. Ive been having TMJ and neck issues too since the ETD happened. However last week I noticed my Right Ear fluttering constantly and hasn’t stopped like on a few ocassions in the past. Does this mean I have TTTS and whats the best offcourse of action to focus on my Chiroprator, TMJ treatment or see ENT to see what is causing my Right Ear fluttering? What are the Cons and Pros of having surgery for TTTS as its having a massive negative effect on my life even after my ETD issues!
Much Respect from London, UK!
Hi Dannie:
What happened back in October that might have caused your TMJ and neck issues? I think your TTTS and ETD issues also stem from that same event since they all occurred at the same time and can all be related to your vertebrae being out of proper alignment.
What I’d do is go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and make sure your neck and back vertebrae are all in proper alignment. From what you say, I don’t think they are.
I wouldn’t even think of having any tenotomy surgery until your spine is properly aligned by an upper cervical chiropractor, and you find the TTTS symptoms still persist. Remember, TTTS is just as much about your emotional state as is is about anything physical. So you need to learn to get and keep your anxiety and stress under control.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil
I have some questions that I need to ask you
1. Do you know why I sometimes get TTTS spasms whenever I fall into a deep sleep? Do you think that this might be anxiety related or something else?
2. Do you think that sleeping while listening to relaxing music is a good way to calm the trigeminal nerve or not?
3. Can TTTS occur spontaneously by itself, or is there always a cause behind it?
4. What do you think of doctors who say that there is no known cause of TTTS? I believe that there is a diagnosis, but I feel like most ENTs are uninformed or maybe they are not very interested in learning about it.
5. Are TTTS permanent or do they always go away on their own?
6. Do you know any its on how I can change my perception on TTTS so that I can stop being afraid of it and focus on my daily activities?
7. Do you know why TTTS can occur even when I sometimes don’t feel any stress?
8. How long does it take for magnesium citrate take effect? Does it take a week or longer?
9. Is it possible to get rid of TTTS completely by yourself without having to go to an Ent or neurotologist?
Hi Ori:
1. There could be a number of reasons, but one that comes to mind is that when you are in a deep sleep you are relaxed and if your head is not positioned correctly on your pillow, you could be kinking your neck and thus pinching a nerve, causing it to act up. I’m not saying this is your cause, but consider it a possibility.
2. I don’t really know. Try listening to relaxing music and see how it affects your TTTS. I’d think that anything that helps you relax more would be all to the good.
3. I say there is always a cause behind it–whether you can identify the cause is a different matter. The most common cause is anxiety after suffering acoustic trauma, or you have TMJ problems.
4. I’d say such doctors are ignorant. I doubt very many doctors know much at all about TTTS, its causes and treatments. Basically TTTS doesn’t stand alone, but is often accompanied by tinnitus and/or hyperacusis and may be accompanied by distorted or muffled hearing, ear pain and a feeling of fullness in the ear.
5. Some people have long term TTTS due to a lowered startle reflex so it responds to softer and softer sounds. In fact, tensor tympani muscle activity may increase so much that the muscle may eventually become fixed in a state of tonic contractions (continuously spasming). You definitely don’t want this to happen.
6. Probably the most important thing is to realize that TTTS does not damage your ears so you don’t have to worry about that. Second, learn to relax and get your anxiety under control.
7. TTTS occurs due to a lowered startle reflex. Being stressed makes it worse, but doesn’t necessarily cause it.
8. I can’t tell you exactly, but if your TTTS is not due to a magnesium deficiency, you won’t notice any difference in your TTTS. It’s worth a try as most people don’t have optimum levels of magnesium, so it should help your overall health in any case. I take magnesium supplements daily–just for good health.
9. Since most doctors don’t know how to effectively help you with your TTTS, learning about it and doing things to help yourself is probably the best way to go. I was just talking with a lady today that has gotten rid of her TTTS by following what I told her to do to get her hyperacusis and tinnitus under control. When she started doing that, her TTTS went away on its own.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman. I asked you some questions about my TTTS and hyperacusis symptoms back in March, and I wanted to update and ask a few things as some time has passed and I have more information.
My right ear is still experiencing what I believe is constant TTTS thumping/rumbling, however it seems to not be as noticeable as it was, and laying down usually makes it practically unnoticeable. Sometimes I worry it could be pulsatile tinnitus, but it doesn’t usually sound like my heartbeat. My hyperacusis has turned into more of just a sensitivity to higher pitches (my right ear in particular) after my ears stopped being incredibly sensitive after having them irrigated. Things like music or TV especially bother the sensitivity, but I’m unsure if the sensitivity has become psychosomatic or not since I’ve been stressed about it for months. Also louder sounds don’t seem to make the sensitivity worse but they are still uncomfortable in the moment.
After having an MRI of my brain and inner ears, it was concluded that nothing was out of the ordinary. I then just a week ago had four wisdom teeth extracted which the surgeon said may or may not be causing the issues, and I’ve began to notice the thumping/rumbling more and both of my ears feel more sensitive to sound. As my jaw now feels very sore and I’m noticing the symptoms more after surgery, I was wondering if this was a TMJ issue all along, but the surgeon also said I probably don’t have any TMJ issues when I asked before the surgery. I haven’t gone to an upper cervical chiropractor, but I plan on it once I begin to recover from the surgery more if everything persists.
What do you believe is the most likely cause of my issues now?
If my wisdom teeth were causing my ear issues, do you think my symptoms would get worse before getting better after having them removed?
I’ve been having very bad dry eye symptoms for a couple months now, and sometimes when I blink too hard from the pain, my ears make the rumbling sound. Could there be a connection there?
As someone who loves and writes music, I’ve found it nearly impossible to deal with the stress of all this despite my attempts, so I really appreciate any input you can give me. Thank you very much for your time. – Peter
Hi Peter:
It’s good that your TTTS sounds are slowly reducing.
Pulsatile doesn’t have to sound like your heartbeat. It can have several different sounds. The way you tell whether you have pulsatile tinnitus is that whatever sound you hear is ALWAYS in unison with your heartbeat. There are other things that may sound somewhat like pulsatile tinnitus but are not in exact unison with your heartbeat.
It is common that loudness hyperacusis is more sensitive to higher frequency sounds due to the reduced dynamic range in the higher frequencies.
Anxiety over hyperacusis can certainly make it worse, so learning how to remain calm is one of the key ways to successfully treat this condition.
If the sounds that don’t bother you as much are lower-frequency sounds, that would be normal. If it is ALL frequencies of sound, that would be different.
Having your upper wisdom teeth extracted could cause your hyperacusis to become worse (hopefully just temporarily worse). Depending on the trauma of having your lower wisdom teeth extracted, you may have developed TMJ to some degree. Again, hopefully this will just be temporary.
Some people have what is called gaze-evoked tinnitus where they hear certain tinnitus sounds when they move their eyes. You have somewhat the same thing happening when you blink/squeeze your eyes.
I’d wait until your jaw/mouth get back to normal after the extractions and see whether some of your symptoms resolve.
Let me know how it goes.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for responding again Dr. Bauman. It’s been over a month since my wisdom teeth surgery, and the ear rumbling has not been frequent and I barely notice it, but the sensitivity to higher pitches in my right ear is still present. However I’ve noticed I can tolerate a bit more higher frequencies than I could a few months ago. While researching upper cervical spine misalignment symptoms, I read that not being able to turn your head as far to one side may indicate misalignment, and I just noticed that I can’t turn my head very far to the right at all without it feeling tight, and my right ear is the one experiencing the sensitivity for months now. Anytime I need to lift heavy objects, the right side of my neck begins to feel very sore as well. I’m trying to get an appointment with a chiropractor, but do you feel this may be a cause based on these symptoms? Also an ENT months ago told me I didn’t have these problems, but could sensitivity like mine be caused by fluid in the ear or eustachian tube dysfunction even if I’m not experiencing any pain or fullness? As a side note, I’ve been experiencing problems with earwax in my left ear for about three months now that’s been causing tinnitus and muffled hearing but I really wouldn’t like to get it flushed again. Is something like baby oil safe to put in your ears to remove wax? Thank you once again for your time. – Peter
Hi Peter:
What you have said about your head and neck just confirms that very likely your problems are related to your cervical spine being out of proper alignment. I think when you see the chiropractor, he will confirm that it is definitely out of proper alignment.
I doubt that your problems are due to Eustachian tube dysfunction or “gunk” in your middle ears. I’d go the upper cervical chiropractor route first and after you know you are in proper alignment and it is holding, then see what symptoms you have remaining, if any.
There is nothing wrong with having your ears syringed as long as they don’t use too much pressure–just a gentle steady stream of water will do the trick. If the wax is hard then you want to soften it ahead of time with baby oil, mineral oil or olive oil–they are all safe to use in your ears. Note, the oil won’t get rid of the wax–just soften it so it is easier to remove. You don’t want to let the wax build up as that can cause hearing loss (temporary) and tinnitus (also temporary). Not to mention, it gets harder and harder to get it out without causing problems.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Bauman. Thank you so much for your reply once again. It’s good to finally be narrowing down the cause of my troubles after six months, and I appreciate you helping me figure it out when every person I went to barely knew what could be wrong. At this moment besides the neck tightness, the only symptoms I have with my ears are high pitch sensitivity in my right ear, a fluttering sound mostly in my right ear for about three seconds once every few days, and if I’m anticipating a louder sound my right ear will flutter for a second. Before I see an upper cervical chiropractor, I just wanted to know if my symptoms will indeed begin to alleviate if the problem was an upper cervical misalignment, since I have been anxious that waiting six months to see a chiropractor may have caused permanent damage. Also if these symptoms are due to a misalignment, is it normal for my symptoms to have improved the way they did? Thank you for your time. – Peter
Hi Peter:
I don’t think the 6 months wait caused any permanent damage.
Your symptoms can improve for a couple of reasons. First, if you are calmer and your anxiety is less, then that can reduce the trigger and you have fewer and milder episodes.
Also, as you calm down, you relax your muscles so that your neck is not as tight–and that in turn can put less pressure on certain nerves, so they cause fewer symptoms.
The chiropractic treatments can accelerate the reduction in symptoms so it is still worth a try. But first you have to see whether your neck vertebrae are out or not.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. Bauman.
I have been dealing with TTTS and hyperacusis for a few months now. I was experiencing some pain in my ears and a stiff neck and jaw when I started noticing the TTTS but I was not exposed to any loud sounds prior, and those symptoms are gone now. When I went to an ENT last month he noticed I had impacted wax but nothing else wrong with my ears, and decided to flush out my ears. For about three weeks my ears became very sensitive, but since then only my left ear has been very sensitive to higher sounds and I still have TTTS in that ear. Did the ear cleaning cause my ear to be permanently damaged? Or is it unlikely if the other ear healed fine and the sensitivity overall got better in both? Thanks.
Hi James:
It’s possible that your TTTS is related to your stiff neck pinching your trigeminal nerve, thus irritating it and causing it to spasm your tensor tympani muscle that results in TTTS. Since you still have the TTTS, I’d go to an upper cervical chiropractor and make sure all your neck vertebrae are properly aligned.
I doubt the ear cleaning caused any physical damage as such, but if your doctor used too much pressure it could certainly have caused the sound sensitivity. I suspect that your doctor may have used more pressure in your left ear than in your right ear and that has caused the difference in the sound sensitivity you are now experiencing. Hopefully, the sonud sensitivity will continue to diminish as time goes by.
Cordially,
Neil
I appreciate the reply Dr. Bauman. It has been a few months now and the sensitivity has gone down quite a bit. I think getting my ear may have caused my wax production to increase more though since my left ear has increasingly become harder to hear out of and there has been a light ringing noise in my ear for a few months now. I wanted to go to an audiologist this time to clean it but haven’t been able to get an appointment for months. Can wax permanently affect hearing when left for months like this? Or should my hearing return to normal when I am able to have it cleaned?
Hi James:
When you have wax build-up, you get some degree of temporary conductive hearing loss–and tinnitus often accompanies this hearing loss. So getting your ears cleaned out should give you back your hearing and at the same time, your tinnitus should fade away.
Wax shouldn’t permanently affect hearing since it is not doing any damage–just clogging up your ear canal. However, the reduced hearing my cause your brain to turn up its internal volume, so that when the wax i finally removed, everything may sound too loud (loudness hyperacusis) until your brain turns the volume back down again.
Cordially,
Neil
Okay thank you. I was worrying myself about it by looking up too much online, so it ‘s good to have some clarity.
Thanks again,
James
Hi Dr Bauman,
Thank you for your pages on the various types of tinnitus. I’m trying to figure out what type I might have. Left ear. Low in pitch. Like a “buzz” or hum — (kind of like the “60hz cycle hum” from an electrical outlet).
But here’s what’s odd: sometimes it’s constant/continuous, but at least 50-75% of the time instead of being continuous it’ll have quick, randomly-spaced pauses of the buzz, in no pattern (not in line with heartbeat — completley random).
With it a low buzz, it does not sound like a typewriter. But it’s maddening. If it was constant all the time I could probably get used to it, but the random on-off of the buzz a good percentage of the time drives me crazy and I can’t sleep. An example: if “—” is the buzz and “x” represents a quick silence:
“—–x—x-x——x—x—-x–x-x—-x—-x—-x—xx—-x—x-x——-x——x—-x-x—-”
etc.
Had it low-grade mild for at least a few months (where it didn’t bother me, I thought it was just construction going on a ways away) but about 10 days ago it got much more pronounced to where I haven’t been able to sleep even with sleeping pills. Only time I can sleep is if I “luck out” and it’s continuous at bedtime instead of “on-off” like it usually is, which drives me nuts. Any thoughts on if it could be TTTS or what it might be, and any thoughts as to anything to help? Thank you so much!
PS: forgot to mention, at least since it became noticably worse about 10 days ago, it’s never stopped. Whether it’s continuous or continuous interspersed with random quick pauses, its 24/7 always happening. Thanks.
Hi Larry:
I think you’ve read my article Typewrite Tinnitus/Morse Code Tinnitus at https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/typewriter-tinnitus-morse-code-tinnitus/ haven’t you? If not, I suggest you read it. I think you have a type of Morse code tinnitus. Don’t get hung up on the fact that you hear buzzing sounds rather than tonal sounds or clicking sounds. I think the underlying cause is the same.
Is your head, neck, shoulders or jaw tight or painful? This would be a strong indication you have this type of tinnitus.
What happened just before 10 days ago and this became worse? And what precipitated it 10 months ago. Any tightness in your head, neck, shoulders or jaw back on either of these occasions. And did your stress or anxiety levels go up just before things got worse 10 days ago?
If yes, I think this is the kind of tinnitus you have and the remedy is to see an upper cervical chiropractor and once he gets you into proper alignment, see whether this tinnitus goes away.
That’s what I’d do.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr Bauman, thank you for the reply! I read your article on “Typewriter Tinnitus” but forgot to say that I did a hearing test and the audiologist said I have hearing loss in the affected ear. Feeling no pain or tenseness in jaw neck or shoulders. So… do you think Chiropractic services might still help?
I’m also a musician (classical, not rock) so I’m exposed to sound for work, but note that I always have had earplugs handy, and even when colleagues wouldn’t put them in, I always used them if it got above a certain level. I was one of those people (ironically) who did what he could to protect his hearing (lot of good it did). But note that I’m a classical musician.
Over the last year or so the ear “felt” like it was a bit blocked with fluid/wax/etc but I guess that was the hearing loss? (Dr did ear washes every couple months but didn’t help). Before about 10 days ago I only noticed the “faint” low-pitch solid/morse-code hum (that I thought was construction noise) 1-2 nights a week. But over the last 10 days, it suddenly got louder, and is now ALL the time (25% solid, 75% morse-code, with no quiet periods like there was before, when it was faint).
Nothing happened around 10 days ago noise-wise, but yes, over the last 2 years stress has been high (full-time caregiver for parent) and I suppose the last month or so was additionally stressful (also, lack of sleep for the last couple years due to eye problems drying out at night no matter what I do).
Colleagues (musicians) that have tennitus talk about their “solid” kind (low-grade ringing in the ear) but not the morse-code/stuttering type that I have (yet I apparently do have hearing loss now?) So trying to figure out what it is (and what, if anything, might help) is so hard! Especially because while I could probably get used to a steady hum, the morse-code thing is driving me nuts.
By the way, if I quickly shake my head violently (direction doesn’t matter) it “seems” to stop ONLY while the shake is going on (but that may be an illusion or normal because of the movement and the muscles involved). And no change in the tennitus whether holding head down (chin against chest) or looking up at ceiling, etc.
I know this can be impossible to figure out, but any thoughts? Still worth to try chiropractic or carbamazepine? As a musician I’d rather avoid surgery–unless the odds were good.
By the way, rather than “Typewriter” I would call mine “Stuttering Tinnitus” because rather than random “hits”, it sounds more like random “dropouts” from a constant tone, if that makes sense.
Finally, I’m having an MRI done on Wed. (order is: “70553-MRI scan of brain before and after contrast”). Have an HMO, so the reality is it’s impossible to get them to change/do more, but even on my own, do you think it’s worth getting one of neck, or other part other than brain?
Any thoughts with this additional info? (Again, I know how hard tennitus is to pin down, but any additional thoughts would be much appreciated).
Thank you so much!
Hi Larry:
There are two things of which I know that can cause tinnitus such as you describe–call it stuttering tinnitus if you will. Both can be related to each other and you could have both at the same time.
Chronic stress can put your body in a state of hyperstimulation which can overly-stimulate your senses including your ears. If your auditory system gets hyperstimulated, it can make sounds seem softer, louder, distorted, fuzzy, warbly, shimmery, etc. Furthermore, it can change the pitch and cause various auditory anomalies. In other words, auditory hyperstimulation can cause all sorts of tinnitus sounds as well as messing up how you hear sounds.
Each person is different, so in your case, you may only have a strange kind of tinnitus, but still hear your music normally. That’s one possibility.
The other is related in that stress tightens up your muscles, etc. and that can pull your vertebrae out of proper alignment as I mentioned in my previous post. This can pinch nerves that then don’t work properly. They may become hyperstimulated and cause one form or another of somatosensory tinnitus like your stuttering tinnitus.
Thus, treatment would also have two aspects. One, see an upper cervical chiropractor to be sure that your cervical vertebrae are all properly aligned, and if not properly aligned, have treatments to properly align them. Two would be to learn how to properly deal with stress (anxiety) in order to allow your body to calm down and the hyperstimulation to fade away. This can take a number of months to happen so you have to be patient.
Once you learn how to properly handle stress, things should be better in the future.
One website you may find very useful in helping you deal with stress and anxiety is https://www.anxietycentre.com. It has a wealth of information on this topic.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr Bauman and thank you so much for creating this page. I just want to say that English is not my first language so sorry for any mistakes.
Everything started this January with a clicky sound in my ear only when I was blinking or burping or wiggling my finger in the ear canal for earwax. Few hours later during the evening I started to have a weird “static” or “electric field” sensation around my ear, and at the same time I had the impression of reduced hearing(every sound had less impact or sharpness to it) no tinnitus and no ear fullness, just a weird electric fog feeling with an impression of reduced hearing. This lasted 4 hours and almost everything went back to normal.
The next day I noticed a faint 2500-3000Hz tinnitus sound in the ear and my eardrum or something behind it would react to loud sounds or sound with impact, I’m not talking about hyperacusis here, something would move or would tense itself in my ear to some loud sounds. I also noticed that every time I landed my foot on the ground while jogging, something in my ear or jaw would click to every impact of my foot.
The second episode happened 2 months later. As soon as I removed my headset from my head, I felt this weird muscle spasm sensation in my jaw that irradiated towards the side of my neck and behind my eardrum or inside my middle ear and 10 mins later the reduced hearing came back for another 4 hours and left again. This time I had no tinnitus, no fullness and no weird electric feeling around my ear. Again the next few days my eardrum or something behind it would tense or spasm to every sound with impact.
I had a few more episodes since then with reduced hearing + numbness feeling(happened once) and a weird stinging sensation(happened once) without a reduced hearing.
The clicks are now gone after 2-3 months but I still have episodes or muffled hearing and a constant tinnitus that is slowly going away. I also need to point out that the months before my first episode, every time that I was yawning I would have a sharp pain in my jaw or TMJ, my neck is also very tense 24/7 and I’m always anxious.
Does this sound like cochlear hydrops to you ? Again no ear fullness at all, the tinnitus is not made worse with the “reduced hearing” episodes, just by stress or by focusing on it, the tinnitus is also louder in the morning and almost nonexistent in the evening, it is also slowly getting better over the months.
After 3 episodes of reduced hearing(all episodes lasted less than 4 hours) I took a hearing test and my hearing was perfect everywhere. I also tested my hearing on a website with frequencies during an episode and I could hear as good as my other ear, but I really have the impression that my hearing is reduced in a way. The first and the last episodes both started after chewing A LOT of gums(the day after). I also believe that I clench in my sleep.
Thank you so much Dr!
Hi Louis-Jacob:
What you are describing sounds to me like the beginnings of multiple ear problems due to your high levels of anxiety. Read the article at this link and see whether you agree that this is the likely cause. https://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-disorders/symptoms/auditory-symptoms/
You can learn much more in the article “Anxiety Symptoms, Causes, Treatment” on the same website at https://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-disorders/symptoms/
If you find that you have a number of the other symptoms of anxiety listed in the latter half of this article, this just confirms that anxiety is the likely cause.
So, rather than trying to identify and treat each of these various ear symptoms, I think you’d be much better off dealing with your anxiety and then seeing whether these ear symptoms all fade away. I’m hoping that they will.
Let me know how it goes.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. Bauman.
I have been experiencing occasional fluttering in both ears and some sensitivity in my right ear for a few months now. I was not around any loud sounds around the time it started so I do not believe my symptoms are occurring due to acoustic shock. I am going to get checked by an ENT soon, but is it possible that the fluttering and sensitivity could be a result of eustachian tube dysfunction, or would ETD not cause symptoms like sensitivity or fluttering? Thank you.
Hi Elliot:
You need to be aware that your eardrum and your Eustachian tubes are controlled by the same nerve–the trigeminal nerve. So if the trigeminal nerve is hyperstimulated for any reason it can cause fluttering of the eardrum (called tonic tensor tympani syndrome or TTTS) and Eustachian tube problems.
If this is the case, then the solution is to get your trigeminal nerve to calm down so it is not so hyperstimulated and in order to do that, you probably also need to calm down both mentally/emotionally and physically.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Bauman,
Thank you for the reply and information. My ENT said my hearing is fine and my pressure levels are normal, so he thinks my symptoms may be stress related as well. If this is the case, would using a nasal spray benefit me at all? My nose is pretty frequently blocked even when its not allergy season, and currently my left ear doesn’t feel like it pops as well as my right when I yawn. Also sometimes my ear will flutter when I move my head around or get up, could this be caused by fluid or mucus in the ear blocking the eustachian tubes, even though my pressure levels were normal? Or should I just focus more on becoming less stressed? Thanks.
– Elliot
Hi Elliot:
If stress/anxiety is your basic underlying problem, then using nasal sprays won’t really cut it. You need to address the underlying cause–and I think that is a hyperstimulated trigeminal nerve. Since your trigeminal nerve controls both your Eustachian tube and your ear drum you can end up with Eustachian tube problems as well as the fluttering of your eardrum (called TTTS).
What happens is that your trigeminal nerve becomes hyperstimulated by the stress/anxiety and causes these symptoms.
You’d do well to read the article at https://www.anxietycentre.com/anxiety-disorders/symptoms/auditory-symptoms/ as it explains all the auditory symptoms you can experience from this hyperstimulation. You can snoop around this website for information anxiety and how to successfully deal with it. I highly recommend this website in your case.
Cordially,
Neil
Dr. Bauman,
The information on the website has been very helpful and I do believe now that my anxiety is very likely the culprit for thesesymptoms sticking around. Is it at all possible that my anxiety couldhave caused anything permanent after not addressing it for multiple months, or should everything begin to resolve once I start practicing relaxation techniques and such?
Thank you for your help.
– Elliot
Hi Elliot:
I don’t think anything happened that cannot be undone. Of course, it make take longer to undo things because you waited so long to begin. But I don’t see any reason you can’t get back to normal eventually.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Doctor Bauman.
I have had what I believe to be hyperacusis and TTTS for a few months now. It has gotten better now and I’m only having a few quick spasms in my right or left ear sometimes when I yawn or get up or just for no reason. My hyperacusis has also gotten so much better to the point where I am fine with motorcycles or other loud vehicles driving by in front of me. My symptoms also did not come after any loud sounds but rather very suddenly and my TTTS used to be constant in my right ear for a while. I’ve wanted to try wearing headphones and listening to music or other media through them, but I am very worried about doing so. If being around loud sounds in the past didn’t make my symptoms worse, would I be okay to wear headphones without any worries of my symptoms getting worse again? Or should I stay away from headphone use?
Thanks.
Hi Anthony:
As far as I’m concerned, there is nothing intrinsically harmful about wearing headphones over listening to sounds by any other means. The key is to keep the sound down to a reasonable level. A good rule of thumb is to listen to music no louder than you do to a person talking. So the level you’d comfortably listen to a lecture via headphones would a a good level to listen to music. Then you shouldn’t harm your ears or cause things like hyperacusis to flare up.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil
I was wondering if you can help answer these questions for me.
1. Can anxiety and stress alone cause TTTS or is always linked with hyperacusis or tmj/upper cervical problems?
2. Do you think that I should go to an upper cervical chiropractor or should I go see a tmj specialist? Sometimes when I sleep, I get TTTS and I usually feel tightness
in my neck and my jaw, so I’m confused as to which one I should go to. I’m also curious to know which vertebrae is causing the spasms.
3. Do upper cervical chiropractors only fix the C1 and C2 vertebrae or do they fix all the upper parts of the neck?
4. Do you think that getting my neck and tmj fixed will have a chance permanently eliminate TTTS? I remember you saying that you went to an upper cervical chiropractor for vertigo and you had it ever since so I’m wondering if this will work the same for me.
5. Can tinnitus habituation techniques work the same for TTTS and if so, what kind of strategies can I use so that it doesn’t make my stress worse?
6. Do you know anyone personally that has gotten rid of TTTS through chiropractic treatment? I’m thinking about going to an upper cervical chiropractor so I’m curious
if you know anyone that has found success through going to one.
7. Can you still experience trigeminal nerve irritability even if you don’t feel symptoms such as tight jaw or difficulty opening your mouth?
8. Do you know the estimate number of months that it takes to get your upper spine to proper alignment? Do you think it might be 3 months or longer?
Hi Ori:
Here’s the answers to your questions.
1. Since TTTS is basically a startle response, stress and anxiety coupled with a sudden loud sound can cause TTTS. It does not have to be linked to hyperacusis or tmj/upper cervical problems, but it can be.
2. You can go to either, but my choice would be to see an upper cervical guy first in case your vertebrae are out of proper alignment, as that can result in TMJ problems too. If the upper cervical treatments don’t resolve the problems, then conside the TMJ specialist. But it can also be that your basic problem is that your trigeminal nerve is stuck in fight or flight mode and that is the basic problem.
3. Upper cervical chiropractors are conventional chiropractors with extra upper cervical training so they can and do treat all your vertebrae with an emphasis on the upper cervical vertebrae.
4. Yes, there is a chance, but you have to be sure that your trigeminal nerve also calms down because that could be the main problem. Also, you need to get your anxiety under control as that extra stress and tension can pull your vertebrae out of alignment again. If so, you’d need continuing chiropractic treatment.
5. You don’t habituate to TTTS, you get rid of it when the trigeminal nerve calms down. So you work on getting it to calm down. You don’t use sound therapy like you do with tinnitus therapy.
6. I’m trying to remember. I deal with so many people I’m forgetting a lot of the details. Sorry. But remember, you have to calm down the nerve also.
7. Yes as I understand it. You need to calm down the hypervigilant startle reflex.
8. A good upper cervical guy can align your upper cervical spine with one or two treatments. The trick is to keep in in proper alignment–but it tends to slip back into its old position, so you typically have to go back several times before it holds it proper position. Once it holds for 6 months or so, it will probably stay in its proper position until undue stress or anxiety tenses up your muscles and pulls it out again.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil
Thank you for responding to my questions. I’m also curious to know if ear wax buildup can cause the spasms or maybe eustachian tube dysfunction? I have allergies but my ear are not blocked so I’m wondering if that can be a potential cause.
I understand that TTTS is not harmful, but it’s sound of the ear fluttering and ear thumping that scares me. There was one time where I was sitting in my classroom and my ear just started spasming out of nowhere, but I still believe that there is something that is causing it because I don’t believe that ear spasms happen out of the blue. It’s just so hard for me to focus on my life and trying to sleep with it is a nightmare. I wondering if you think I should go see a psychologist because I feel like misophonia might also be another problem or if I should go see a cognitive behavioral therapist. I just hope that TTTS is only temporary and will always go away on their own.
Hi Ori:
Wax buildup, as long as it doesn’t touch your eardrum, doesn’t cause spasms. However, if a chunk of wax touches your eardrum it can cause it to retract (spasm) to get away from the wax. When it contracts, the wax no longer touches your eardrum so it relaxes and then again comes in contact with the wax and retracts again. So you get the spasming as long as that happens.
This only happened to me once. I put my hearing aids on and the earmold pushed some wax so it touched my eardrum and caused this kind of spasming. I was in church so I had to put up with it until after I got home. Then I syringed out the wax and it has never occurred again.
The same can occur if anything–a hair or other material–touches your eardrum.
If your startle reflex gets out of whack, your trigeminal nerve–which controls both your Eustachian tube and your eardrum–can send rhythmic signals to your eardrum so that it spasms. The secret there is to calm down the startle reflex so this no longer occurs.
I agree that TTTS is really annoying–but you don’t have to be scared of it now that you know what can cause it.
If you haven’t done so, it would be a good first step to have your ears checked for any wax, hair or anything else that might be close to or touching your eardrum on the chance that this is what is causing it.
However, most likely, your trigeminal nerve is in a state of hyperstimulation and needs to calm down. When this happens, your TTTS should go away. This can take time and seeing a professional that knows how to do that would be the way to go. Taking drugs is not the answer.
I don’t think this is related to misophonia, unless you are constantly around sounds that trigger misophonic reactions and thus leave you in a hyperstimulated state–e.g. “flight or fight” mode.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
I’ve been having problems with TTS for several years now. Firstly it only every happened while speaking to people on a telephone, it slowly progressed to also happening whilst laying down and watching television. over the years it has slowly progressed to spasming everytime i breath out whilst i am laying down. it has gotten so bad that i am starting to lose sleep and is causing me multiple problems in day to day life. i have been to multiple Drs and Ent’s but all say there is nothing visibly wrong with my ears. unfortunatley i dont have access to an upper cervical vertebrae chiropractor. i feel like im running out of options and dont know what to do. is there any advice you could give me to point me in the right direction?
Hi Abe:
Your doctors can’t find anything wrong, because there isn’t anything physically wrong where they are looking.
Since TTTS is often related to both your startle reflex (and thus to anxiety) as well as your vertebrae being in proper alignment, if you can’t get to a upper cervical chiropractor, going to a conventional chiropractor would be the next best thing to do.
Since you have the most problem when laying down, I suspect your have a problem with your cervical vertebrae not being in proper alignment and this is exacerbated when you lay down. Hopefully, a conventional chiropractor will be able to help you–at least to some extent.
You also have to get your anxiety under control–or put another way–your startle reflex calmed down. So you want to make sure your trigeminal nerve isn’t hyperactive or hypersensitive.
You haven’t mentioned your emotional state of mind. Are you quite tense, anxious and easily startled?
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil,
I was wondering what condition I have and if cervical chiropractic treatment could be the solution. I initially had tinnitus in my right ear and then a year and a half later had hyperacusis in my left. After a year later, my left ear would flutter which as a result led to popping in my left ear. After another 7 months later I was stressed when I went to sleep and woke up with mild ear pain in my left ear. Could this be TTTS? I went to ENT and they asked if I had been in an car accident, which I hadn’t, and told me to take magnesium. The hearing test showed that my right ear (with tinnitus) has perfect hearing but my left ear (hyperacusis, popping, mild pain) has hearing loss. This sounds to me like TTTS and could be fixed with chiropractor and posture.
Thank you
Hi Sam:
It seems you have TTTS from what you say. I can’t say whether upper cervical chiropractic will fix it or not as I first need to know the cause of your TTTS.
If your TTTS is due to stress and anxiety, then the obvious treatment is to work with a psychologist and learn how to calm down and deal with stress correctly. Then it should fade away on its own.
However, if your TTTS is due to your cervical vertebrae being out of proper alignment, then upper cervical chiropractic should do the trick.
And of course, you could have both conditions at the same time, so you need to treat both causes to get rid of it.
Magnesium is also worth trying as it works for cramping muscles and in one sense, TTTS is exactly that–just spasming very fast. So it could make a difference if you are low in magnesium–but I think the above two treatments are more likely to be effective.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Sam:
It seems you have TTTS from what you say. I can’t say whether upper cervical chiropractic will fix it or not as I first need to know the cause of your TTTS.
If your TTTS is due to stress and anxiety, then the obvious treatment is to work with a psychologist and learn how to calm down and deal with stress correctly. Then it should fade away on its own.
However, if your TTTS is due to your cervical vertebrae being out of proper alignment, then upper cervical chiropractic should do the trick.
And of course, you could have both conditions at the same time, so you need to treat both causes to get rid of it.
Magnesium is also worth trying as it works for cramping muscles and in one sense, TTTS is exactly that–just spasming very fast. So it could make a difference if you are low in magnesium–but I think the above two treatments are more likely to be effective.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil
I think by now, I’m starting to figure out what might be causing my TTTS and I believe that it must be from TMJ. Although I do get the spasms spontaneously, I have been noticing that I get it more often whenever I’m more exhausted. I also get the spasms more whenever I burp or yawn and I’m pretty sure it might have something to do with the trigeminal nerve being anxious.
I’m planning to go see a TMJ specialist because I’m thinking that maybe its possible that there could be a dysfunction in my jaw. I get a lot of cracking whenever I flex my jaw and its sometimes difficult to open my mouth. I also read that TMJ can be responsible for upper cervical spine issues like neck pain or a pinched nerve which might be the reason why I sometimes get the spasms whenever I sleep. I’m just curious to know if treating TTTS through TMJ has been proven or am I wrong?
Hi Ori:
I wouldn’t be surprised if your TMJ alignment has something to do with your TTTS. But, it could also be more upstream–your trigeminal nerve pinched messing up you TMJ in some manner.
I think its more the other way–misalignments in your spine causing TMJ issues. In any case getting both looked after at the same time should (hopefully) fix your TTTS, especially if you can calm down and get your nerves to calm down at the same time.
Treating TMJ could help, but remember, that TTTS is mostly related to your startle reflex and your nerves being hyperstimulated. That is why you need to treat both, not just focus on the TMJ.
Cordially,
Neil
I’ve been experiencing for the past two months. My right ear has become sensitive to sound and feels full, with a sensation of air pressure. I hear what sounds like wind or an engine in the same ear for three days, then slowly all symptoms disappear, although sensitivity remains, particularly noticeable when people talk to me or when I speak, or even when dishes touch each other. Since then, my ear thumps to every sound with a particular frequency, like closing a door or dropping my phone. After two weeks, the same symptoms return for exactly three days, then disappear again, but the sensitivity persists and worsens over time. Last week, I experienced the same episode, and after three days, it disappeared, but the sensitivity remains, causing anxiety and stress in my life. I’ve been away from work and friends for about a month, which has made me very ill. I’ve seen five ENT specialists and undergone CT scans and MRI scans, all of which indicated that everything is fine with my ear. My new job has become searching online in the hope of finding a solution and treatment for myself. Does anyone have any ideas or experience with similar symptoms that could help?
Hi Ali:
What happened in the weeks before you noticed your right ear was sensitive to sounds? Did you expose your ears to any loud sounds, or heard a sudden loud sound that startled you? Your symptoms sound like that is what happened.
You are saying the ear sensitivity is constant, but the thumping comes back for 3 days every 2 weeks, right?
Things are getting worse and worse because you are becoming more and more anxious and are stressing over this. You NEED to stop this. You need to calm down and get your anxiety under control. Calming breathing exercises or calming body exercises are good ways to do this. You can do calming breathing exercises whenever you start feeling more anxious.
You also need to begin focusing on the loves of your life and forget about your ears as much as is possible. Go out with your friends again. And if you are not in a noisy job, go back to work and concentrate on your work, not on your ears and your anxiety.
Also, don’t read all the horror stories on the internet. That just fuels your anxiety and makes things worse.
I can help you just like I’ve helped others with similar conditions. The real key is getting your anxiety under control by doing what I’ve outlined above.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you so much for your kind and calming message.
I didn’t notice anything the week before. I was skiing and on the way back home, I began to feel that my ear was becoming sensitive to my wife’s voice. The following day, it worsened as I mentioned.
I run every day for about 10k and exercise in the gym. I use headphones during my run and listen to music loudly, as I have for the past 5 years. I’m not sure if this is causing the issue or if the cold weather was a factor.
I also noticed that when I am eating, I feel like something in my ear canal is moving with each bite. After my meal, my ear becomes blocked for about 10 minutes, and I try to pop it by pinching my nose. It’s a very strange condition.
The issue I’m facing at work is during meetings and conversations with my colleagues. All their sounds vibrate in my ear and make me uncomfortable, causing pain.
In the morning when I wake up, the discomfort is worse, but it tends to improve slightly in the afternoon.
Hi Ali:
You shouldn’t be listening to loud music–whether running or otherwise. Your ears only can stand so much abuse before they break down.
Since TTTS is basically a startle reflex, initially it typically begins after a sudden loud sound startles you. This makes you anxious and if your trigeminal nerve becomes hypersensitive as a result, this can continue as long as it remains hyperactivated.
The solution is to first calm yourself down and get your anxiety under control. Then you need to get your trigeminal nerve to calm down as well. That basically how to effectively treat it.
You might do well to visit the Anxiety Center’s website at https://www.anxietycentre.com/ and snoop around on their website. They have a lot of good articles or getting your anxiety under control and getting your nerves to calm down at the same time.
Your ear can become blocked or have a blocked feeling because your trigeminal nerve controls not only your eardrum but also your Eustachian tube. So getting your trigeminal nerve calmed down is vital to overcoming TTTS.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your advice. I have been working on my anxiety since then, and I feel much better. My ear is still sensitive to sounds, but I accept it as a permanent symptom. This way, I can better manage my stress and anxiety. Hopefully, one day this will go away.
Hi Ali:
I”m glad you are getting your stress under control and thus feeling better. You are doing well! Way to go!
Don’t give up. It takes time for your nerves to calm down so the TTTS disappears–but in time it should also go away.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi Dr. Neil
In the past few weeks I started developing several symptoms which ultimately resulted in what’s described as hyperacusis.
I guess I should start by saying I was diagnosed with Visual Snow Syndrome which I’ve been suffering from for 5 years now, and the only symptom related to my ears was that it worsened my already present tinnitus. A few months ago I had one of my wisdom teeth extracted. Both my surgeon and I noticed I had issues keeping my mouth open for long, which, I was told, could be caused by problems concerning my jaw, but I’ve never really dug deeper into it as I didn’t experience any other related symptoms.
Since the beginning of 2024 I started experiencing stuff like popping sounds of my jaw as I move it, and jaw pain. In the same time frame I also started feeling stronger than usual ear sounds when I swallow (they were softer before), especially in my right year. Afterwards I started experiencing a weird feeling in my right year whenever I heard certain sounds, especially high pitched ones, almost as if I had a mosquito constantly buzzing nearby.
The past few weeks I started developing proper high sensitivity to sounds. On top of that, right after I talk a bit too loud, or I hear certain sounds, I hear some sort of “spasm” in my right ear and I experience ear pain, getting more intense these past few days, sometimes one year and other times the other. I experience pop sounds in my ears from time to time too.
I’m seeing my dentist in a few days and I’ll schedule a visit with an ENT afterwards.
What do you think it could be? My anxiety has been getting out of control because of this, especially because of how the symptoms are developing. I’d add that I had no acoustic shock or Covid or accidents lately, in case this info helps.
What do you think it could be? I’m only 23 years old. Sorry for my English, it’s not my first language.
I look forward to your reply.
Hi Fra:
From what you say, I think you have temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD). In short, your jaw isn’t “hanging” right. This can cause ear problems such as ear pain, the popping sounds you hear, hearing sensitivity and tinnitus. It also seems to be developing into TTTS too, probably due to your trigeminal nerve being hyperstimulated because of the TMD.
Your anxiety is just making this worse.
Here’s what I’d do in your shoes. I’d see a chiropractor or dentist that is skilled in treating TMD. This is the first step and maybe all you will need to do. When the TMD is taken care of, your trigeminal nerve needs to calm down, and you need to get your anxiety under control. Also, quit focusing on your ears as this just makes TTTS and tinnitus worse. When you do this, your other ear problems should fade away.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello,
My story stretches back over seven years now and probably beyond although the symptoms up until early 2017 were not so severe that I considered an ear condition. I apologize for the lengthy post. I have been to see many doctors including ENTS, Neuro-Otologists, family practitioners, audiologists, physical therapists of all kinds, chiropractors, (both regular and upper cervical adjustment), dentists and more. I have had treatments, examinations, and tests of all kinds: drugs, physical therapies, chiropractic manipulation including upper cervical, lifestyle modification, hearing aids, surgeries, c-pap therapy, VEMP tests both o-vemp and c-vemp, VNG, ecog, postural platform and other balance testing, and much more. I have had falls and bumps and trauma during and before this. I have read and read and then read some more about the ears and all manner of related conditions. Yet still a definitive diagnosis and treatment eludes me.
I am writing in response to this thread because I wonder about TTS in my case. But, the trouble is that symptoms overlap with so many conditions that might affect the ears and it is a challenge for practitioners and patients. Your website was one instrumental factor that lead me to reject the diagnosis of Meniere’s disease (some like to use the term endolymphatic hydrops) that was initially given to me. I am comfortable with Meniere’s syndrome as a useful description but the “disease” diagnosis is too convenient for practitioners. Yet for many, including a fair population of doctors that should know better by now, it persists. Endolyphatic hydrops secondary to something else is certainly something I find reasonable but not the term “disease” because it suggests that being pretty much idiopathic in nature you must just learn to “live with it.” One well-known and very competent otologist who has been thoroughly involved in diseases and conditions of the ear says that the rate of misdiagnosis of Meniere’s is very, very high.
Since 1998 (Dr. Lloyd Minor) ear doctors have been doing treatment for dehiscences (holes in the bony labyrinth of the inner ear and there has been tremendous progress in treatment. Some of it conservative and some surgical. The condition is generally called Third Mobile Window Syndrome or Disorder and ear doctors are now regularly being trained in identifying and treating it as part of their academic and clinical education and training. Older doctors, unless they have been involved in research, have been largely ignorant to it and still dependent upon other diagnoses. Dr. Gerard Gianoli of the Ear and Balance Institute in Louisiana and a patient of his, Philippa Thomson of Scotland, are the editors of a book published in 2022 that is a very comprehensive overview of TMWD supported by a mountain of clinical practice and research. At least 15 areas of dehiscence have been identified and there may be more that are not known. Superior canal is the most common. I finally had surgery on my left side superior canal (Semi circular canal dehiscence or SCD) which did indeed have a hole. The surgeon also repaired four large holes in the tegmen tympani which had put me at high risk for meningitis (although who knows whether it would ever have happened). Yet it did not relieve the symptoms of autophony, hyperacusis, aural pressure, pulsatile tinnitus, facial sensitivity, mild burning sensations in the neck and face and the loud clanging and banging and reverberation going on. There are other things as well but these are some of the most significant.
Before surgery I wondered about the possibility of TMD and TTS. I went to a TMD specialist but was not impressed because when he sent me a copy of the treatment plan he said I had come to him with extreme pain in my jaw which was absolutely untrue and there were some other things that he could only give stumbling guesses about. Yet I still wonder.
There are a pretty high number of correspondents on this thread to whom you give the same advice which is to go see an upper cervical chiropractor. You especially favor the BLAIR method of treatment. You also do the same for people who have had difficulty as patients who have been given a Meniere’s diagnosis. I have done that based largely upon what I saw on your site and a couple of others. The doctor I have been to see is a BLAIR practitioner. I believe that he did help some with the vertigo that was so debilitating although not perfectly. I continued to have episodes. At least one of them coming right after treatment. Not only that, I would often go in and he would tell me that my upper cervical area was in alignment and no adjustment was needed even though I had symptoms. I do not doubt his competence nor integrity. None of it ever seemed to help with the hyperacusis, autophony, aural pressure, pulsatile tinnitus, etc.
A couple of years ago I read a paper from some Australian researchers that postulated that the cause of Meniere’s disease was in fact that, for whatever reason, the muscles that control the tensor tympani or the stapedial reflex misbehave causing a rise in pressure in the otic capsule which in turn results in a rupture that causes endolymph and perilymph to mix thus causing the severe vertigo that so many “Meniere’s” sufferers deal with. They speculated on the cause of the muscle misbehavior suggesting a variety of possibilities including TMD and upper cervical issues. They were, however, advocates more for Tenotomy as a solution and I have seen much on both sides of that issue. It has its risks and benefits and advocates and detractors. I presented it to my surgeon and asked that he read the article and give me his opinion. He didn’t endorse it but thought it to be plausible. Right now I am planning a further surgery to explore other dehiscent areas, re-enforce the oval and round windows against the possibility of a perilymphatic fistula (still a much debated condition amongst ear doctors) and re-enforce bone between the posterior semi-circular canal and my high riding jugular bulb. He has also held out the possibility of a tenotomy although he is still tentative about it as something that will give relief.
You are a person who has had a great deal of experience in this area and have connections to a wide body of practitioners and researchers. You seem to advocate for chiropractic manipulation and holistic approaches to ear difficulty while also suggesting that traditional medicine has a role. I have given a lengthy (could have been much longer) history and explanation here. I wonder why you think that upper cervical care has been of limited help to me? I would try again if I had any reason to think that it might yield better results this time. Also, what is your opinion of third mobile window disorders and the treatment that is offered if, in fact, you have any experience with this area?
There are more days now than there used to be that are just miserable and filled with loud noises, pressure, pulsatile tinnitus, some dizziness and disequilibrium, and more although I still function and to look at me no one who didn’t already know would see anything unusual. But I have spent lots of time and money pursuing various things and have wearied of not finding some more permanent relief.
Hi Nate:
You sure have gone to a lot of health care professionals, and between the bunch of them, still no firm diagnosis!
I agree with you that you may have several overlapping conditions. Thus, you may need several overlapping treatments. No one treatment is going to fix all your problems.
Meniere’s is a catch-all and like you say, is not a disease as such. Rather it is just a collection of symptoms. And lots of Meniere’s diagnoses are wrong. For example, 282 drugs are listed as causing Meniere’s–but I sincerely doubt that any of the cause Meniere’s. It’s just that these 282 drugs have side effects that mimic the four symptoms of Meniere’s–so the doctors just assume they caused Meniere’s. I still believe Meniere’s is limited to C1 and C2 being out of proper alignment. So if an upper cervical chiropractor can show you that your C1 and C2 are in proper alignment, then you don’t have Meniere’s, but something else–and that is why the upper cervical treatment doesn’t “work” in that case because that is neither the problem nor the solution.
What makes you think you have TTTS? So far, I haven’t seen you reporting an eardrum vibrating or fluttering sensation?
And yes, I am somewhat familiar with Third Window Syndrome. Interesting that your doctor reports 15 areas of TWS in 2022. Two years before that, I had published my book that includes TWS and I list 18 different TWS conditions. So we are in the same ball-park.
How did your surgeon plug your SCD? Did he go right to the site?
It sounds like you have lots of “holes in your head” and until the doctors can find and plug all of them, your various symptoms may continue.
Yes, I have recommended an upper cervical chiropractor (I’m partial to the Blair method), but the people don’t have all the symptoms you have and have no indication of Third Window conditions. Since you have TWS, I don’t see how upper cervical treatment is the solution.
I’m not in favor of tenotomy as it doesn’t fix the underlying problem–only addresses one of the symptoms (and can cause others). I don’t think I buy into this theory. Mixing the endolymph and perilymph from a rupture of the membrane between them shorts out the cochlear battery and you go deaf more or less instantly in that ear. Yet this doctor doesn’t mention this fact. I think his theory has some “holes” in it–no pun intended.
I think you still have some “holes” than need to be fixed if possible. Reinforcing the oval and round windows can give you some degree of hearing loss, but as for preventing perilymphatic fistulae, why do it “just in case” when there is no evidence that you have any at this point?
As I said previously, I don’t advocate for upper cervical treatment in your case. You have other issues.
If you’d like to, we can have a Zoom chat and discuss your issues in more detail as I see them. Remember, I’m not a medical doctor, but I have learned some things about these various ear conditions. If you’d like a Zoom meeting, email me privately. My email address is at the bottom of all the pages on this website.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello,
I have flu. It got very severe 3-4 days ago and my existing TTTS problem increased since then. Do you think it could be due to acid reflux?
Thanks.
Hi Aslin:
I don’t think so. I’ve never come across acid reflux causing TTTS before. I think a more likely culprit is the increased stress on your body from the flu.
Cordially,
Neil
Hello Dr. Bauman,
I am so relieved to finally find information about TTTS after struggling with it for over a year now. I have had a fluttering sensation that I believe are spasms in my right ear that will trigger randomly, from sudden sounds, or from yawning sometimes. My right ear also became sensitive to certain higher-pitched sounds when the spasms began. Sometimes the spasms will continue for hours before finally stopping. Three different ENTs I went to last year did not know what to make of my issue and said my ears were fine otherwise which left me feeling very lost and I have not known what steps to take next since then. The right side of my jaw sometimes feels more stiff and my whole jaw and face muscles sometimes feel heavy when I go to lay down which makes me think it could possibly be related to a jaw issue such as TMJ. I have also noticed I am unable to turn my head as far to the right as I can to the left which makes me think it might be related to my neck as well.
What do you believe my issue may be a result of, and where should I go from here? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you. – Ethan
Hi Ethan:
It sure sounds like you have TTTS. Before I get into the details of what you should do to get your TTTS under control, I’d like to know how this all started. What happened just before your TTTS began? Anything you can think of that would cause it such as exposing your ears to a sudden loud or startling sound? Or something that put your neck/jaw out of proper alignment? Or???
Cordially,
Neil
I do not recall being exposed to any loud sounds, however I was listening to music a little louder than I usually do for an hour or so to drown out outside noise a couple days before I first noticed my TTTS, but not unbearably loud. As for my neck, I do not believe anything suddenly happened to misalign it, however I do not have the best posture and frequently find myself with my neck more extended out when I work at my office desk or even when I am standing normally so I do not know if my posture over the years could have caused any misalignment. I also sleep on my stomach which I read isn’t good for the neck. I also do not believe I had anything happen to my jaw and have had no stiffness or discomfort in it before my TTTS started. The only other things I can think of at the time were that my partner and I were both positive for covid but we were asymptomatic, and I was also dealing with some stress before my TTTS started which then became amplified after it started which most likely did not help, but I was able to become less anxious about my situation after a few months. I also was experiencing sharp pains in my ears and pressure in them when the TTTS and ear sensitivity first started which I thought were because of eustachian tube dysfunction, but these symptoms subsided after about a month.
– Ethan
Hi Ethan:
TTTS is basically a startle reflex gone bad in that it activates at much lower levels than it should. Sometimes it begins from something that startles you or puts you on edge, but it can develop over time with no specific incident that you can point to as the culprit. Often the culprit in such cases is excess stress and anxiety.
TTTS is basically controlled by your trigeminal nerve, and when it gets hyper-stimulated, it sends rhythmic signals to your tensor tympani muscle so it spasms and yanks on your hammer (malleus) which yanks on your eardrum causing the fluttering sensation you now have.
TTTS is often accompanied by other symptoms such as tinnitus, ear pain and ear fullness.
If you want to learn more about TTTS, what causes it, and more importantly, how to control it, you’d do well to read Chapter 18 in my book “Hypersensitive to Sound?”. It has a comprehensive section on TTTS that will help you understand what you have and what you can do about it. You can get this book from our website at https://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/hypersensitive-to-sound/ . I encourage you to get this book and read this chapter carefully as it would take too long to try to cover all this material here. Then, if you have any questions, I’ll be glad to help you.
Cordially,
Neil
Hi,
I believe I have TTPS
For the last 10 months I have had a rythmic fast clicking sound in my left ear, it lasts for 10 seconds and comes every minute like clockwork. I have a history of hyperacusis in that ear where I got a similar response to everyday sounds for a few seconds and also sometimes a feeling of fulness in the ear. I have also had a couple of bouts similar to what I have now but they did stop after just a few weeks. This one though is persistant.
I see a chiropractor regularly and my Dr has prescribed gabapentin.
I recently saw an ENT consultant and after having a hearing test and examination which was normal I am awaiting an MRI scan.
We all have stresses causing anxiety in our lifes and I’m thinking this might be the route cause.
I’m reaching out for any thoughts from you and at the same time I’m trying to treat the sound as something not threatening and trying to ignore it as much as I can.
Hi Andrew:
Rather than having TTTS, it is quite possible that you have typewriter tinnitus instead. You would do well to read my comprehensive article on typewriter/Morse Code tinnitus and see whether that seems to be what you are experiencing. You can find this article at https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/typewriter-tinnitus-morse-code-tinnitus/ .
As you can see, taking Gabapentin works for some, but not all cases of typewriter tinnitus–at least in the short term. However, I think the best solution is to go to an upper cervical chiropractor and make sure all your cervical vertebrae are correctly aligned. You can find one of these special kind of chiropractors by going to https://www.upcspine.com/ and clicking on the “Practitioners” tab then find you country and state.
You are doing a lot of the right things and I wish you well in dealing with this problem. Let me know if the upper cervical chiropractor works for you.
Cordially,
Neil