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