by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
In a previous article “Nodding Chime Tinnitus“, a woman explained that she heard chiming tinnitus whenever she nodded or shook her head.
I asked anyone reading that article if they had ever had somewhat similar experiences. Here are a number of responses I received.
One lady reported:
I also have the same type of thing when I shake my head. At the same time, I have a constant sound in one of my ears regardless of what I am doing.
A man explained:
This is one of my symptoms. The note is slightly different for yes and no—yes is higher-pitched. I think I’ve experienced this for many years, but only started to notice continuous tinnitus at the age of 50, about 8 years ago. I have been wearing higher-frequency hearing aids since then, have had tests for acoustic neuromas, and have undergone tinnitus retraining therapy with some success.
In addition to the nodding/shaking symptoms, I get similar chimes when I jog. I can also reduce or increase my steady- state tinnitus by pressing quite hard on various parts of my jaw. Pressing the jaw into the joint tends to decrease the tinnitus, pushing my chin to one side tends to increase it. The effect is quite dramatic.
A lady wrote:
I also have a type of tinnitus that happens when I shake my head up and down or side to side. It’s not chimes to me but more like a static or buzzing. I can’t remember when it started, but I have a progressive hearing loss that resulted in my surgery one year ago for a cochlear implant. I can provoke it at will—pretty much all the time.
Another phenomena I’ve had for a few years—worse before the CI—has what I’ve found on the web as an “audible wakening”. Basically when changing consciousness stages I sometimes hear a “wraaanggg” type of almost screaming “sound”. Can’t explain it much better—sorry. I wonder whether others have reported this to you.
Another lady reported:
I’m writing regarding the woman who hears a chime sound when she nods or shakes her head.
In addition to ongoing mild tinnitus, I experience movement-induced sound as well. Unfortunately, the sound is not a pleasant chime tone, but a very startling loud buzz—like a noisy fly or bee right inside my ear! The first time I heard it I was terrified that an insect had flown into my ear and would sting me or get stuck and have to be removed surgically. The sound (so far) only happens when I shake my head from side to side to signify “no”.
I hear a variety of other tinnitus sounds intermittently that don’t seem to be related to any particular activity or situation—loud squeals, clicks, and the occasional whooshing noise. They are irritating when they happen, but aren’t terribly disruptive.
Still another lady explained:
I identify with the “chime” tinnitus report—I just tested myself by nodding my head vigorously. I confirmed that indeed, the movement changed the volume of my tinnitus, especially on the head upward movement of a “yes” head nod, and a leftward head movement in a “no” nod. (The ‘yes’ movement yields more dramatic results.) I have unilateral sensorineural loss in my right ear, with tinnitus that is not bothersome—it’s simply “there”.
When I wear my hearing aid, it plugs that ear with the ear mold, and this somehow calls attention to my tinnitus—when I walk, I get a modulation of the tinnitus that reflects the rhythm of my footsteps. That’s annoying. This is akin to my ability to “ding” my head—if I plug my right ear, and flick my finger just so around my cheekbone, I can produce a “ding” sound in my head. (Fun, huh?)
A man questioned:
Hey does anyone have bells that ring when you shake your head? I get one tone shaking horizontally and a higher one vertically. The sound is very much like they have during a Catholic mass when an altar boy jangles a set of 4 small bells.
Finally, a woman exclaimed:
Bells! The very first symptom of my Meniere’s type syndrome was hearing a bell ring when I bent over.
Interesting, isn’t it? Thank you all for sharing some of the weird tinnitus sounds you experience. This once again proves the enormous variety of tinnitus sounds we hard of hearing people experience.
I hear strange noises when I shake my head back and forth and up and down – almost like a rubber band bouncing back and forth – like a musical sound mixed with a boinging sound. Hard to explain. I also have mild tinnitus and some hearing loss in the high frequencies in both ears.
I have that musical note like harmonica note when shaking head from side to side. I am 65 and just noticed it. Also have tinnitus or constant buzz in ears when it is quiet. Dr. said he tested my hearing and it is okay.
I have the same thing. Sounds like someone blowing in and out of a harmonica. I just noticed this today.
I have had ringing in my ears for over 2 years now. Something with pain and or pressure.
My doctor is not concerned at all.
However i have recently noticed a chime sound when I shake my head.
Not sure if this means that I will have hearing issues in the near future or not.
I thought the spacial snapse was depression
Boy was I wrong .. 2 years to figure chimes associated with tinnitus..lovely getting old
I too have a tinny sound when nodding or shaking head as in yes or no. Also have a lot of catarr at times and ears ‘pop’.
Also getting quite deaf in both ears. Cannot get on with hearing aids..makes me sneeze and ears irritated, And there is a constant rushing sound .
I have a small chiming sound in my left ear. It as if a small sleigh bell is gently tapped. It is not constant, or rhythmic. Sometimes it won’t occur for fifteen minutes, then it will happen every 30 second. It does not appear to be associated heart beat or head movement.
Any idea what it could be?
Hi Reed:
Nodding chime tinnitus can occur for a variety of reasons. Did you have any sort of head trauma or acoustic trauma in the days before you first hearing the chimes? If you had a virus, or your neck is out, or you exposed your ears to a sudden loud sound that could be a cause. Do any of these ring a bell?
Cordially,
Neil
Ring a bell good line only when i shake my jead left to tight. Ha ha true story i notice that i can still the soumds in my head by doing a pressure release ” as i driving. Ding ding.
I have ringing bells in my ears when I shake my head. This follows a car crash where earwigs deployed.
This website lets us know many people have this and it can follow hearing a very a loud sound.
The important issue is Can we “fix” it; can we eliminate it?
Hi Irene:
I’d love to know how to effectively treat nodding chime tinnitus too–if it needs a different treatment than “ordinary” tinnitus. If anyone finds something that works, please share it here.
Cordially,
Neil
I have the exact same thing. It’s not associated with movement at all. It’s almost like someone taps their fingernail on a coke can- like a little “tink”. I haven’t discovered anyone else with this. I had it for about a year in 2017. It subsided. Now I have it again.
I have had a mild tinnitus for several years. Nothing bad and just living with it.
Recently I started hearing what I really thought was an electronic notification sound like from a smart phone or an appliance. Kind of a double ring. After a while I figured out the sound happens only whenever I burp or hiccup. I can kind of lightly hear something akin to the ring of this if I plug either ear with my finger and pull in and out on my ear.
Any ideas about this are appreciated.
Hi Alan:
What you are experiencing is certain somatosensory nerves—that is, nerves that send various sensory information to your brain—are doing their jobs, but the neurons in your brain are so busy multitasking that when certain signals arrive they send them to the auditory part of your brain. There your brain interprets them as auditory signals, and thus you hear a sound, rather than feeling the sensation if it was really supposed to be a tactile (touch) signal.
It’s nothing to worry about now that you know what is happening. Numbers of people have these weird experiences.
Cordially,
Neil
When I shake my head, I hear bells chiming.
About five months ago I starting having tinnitus almost all day. But I think before that I noticed when I shook my head from left to right it sounds like an old house phone ringing down the hall or something. About seven months before all of this happened I took a hard fall on the left side of my head and had a concussion
Hi Marcia:
Head trauma of one sort or another can be a cause of nodding chime tinnitus as you have experienced. Wish there was an easy way to get rid of it.
Cordially,
Neil
Me too
Dr Bauman
This is the first time I’ve come to a forum and commented because it’s the first time I’ve found something close to what I’m experiencing! Granted, it’s only been two weeks and it’s not driving me crazy, it’s just weird. Out of the blue one morning while drying off after a shower I had a strange sound in my left ear only, like a hum. Have you ever heard a queen bee searching for other queen bees? It was like that, only a few seconds. It would come and go and I couldn’t find a link. Then it changed slightly, started to be more clear, still like an insect but starts in a higher frequency, ends in a low frequency, and I timed it, 8 seconds. Then I discovered a common cause that precluded it. Hiccups or burping, with my mouth closed. Also one of those nice long stretches you take with your arms in the air and you make a little noise. I still swat my ear sometimes when I forget thinking it’s a mosquito. Happens maybe a doz times a day, don’t really count. I’m 68, have always had excellent hearing in all ranges. Going for my annual physical next week and will mention it to my dr and have her check my ears for wax but I’ve also never had a wax problem. Figured it was some sort of tinnitus . Oh, and sometimes I do feel a slight pressure. Sorry for the length of this, but the way it goes from high to low and only lasts 8 secs is weird! Jean
Hi Jean:
You may be experiencing tinnitus as humming sounds are one of the common tinnitus sounds. It is interesting that it only lasts 8 seconds at a time.
I doubt it is ear wax touching your ear drum causing this sound as it wouldn’t last for exactly 8 seconds every time–but having your ear checked for wax (or any other foreign material) touching your ear drum. Even a hair touching your ear drum could cause such a reaction.
The other condition that comes to mind is that you are experiencing a form of tonic tensor tympani syndrome (TTTS) where the tensor tympani muscle goes into spasm and rhythmically tugs on your ear drum causing a sound/sensation.
If you think it might be TTTS, read my article on the subject at https://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/do-i-have-tonic-tensor-tympani-syndrome-ttts/ .
Cordially,
Neil
My tinnitis has become so much worse since my 2nd COVID infection. I am always asking people to repeat. When I shake my head side-to-side, I hear tubular bell sounds…like wind homes (medium pitch, at least 2 tones). It’s loud.
I have it. I shake my head from side to side and hear notes like running the stick across a xylophone.
I have various ringing,screaming, wind chime sounds that co me and go in my right ear, accompanied by a feeling that the ear is plugged up. I saw an ENT who said it was age-related hearing loss, and a while afterwards, everything was back to normal hearing in that ear. Now the chiming/plugged up sensations are back. Is this a progressive thing that will get worse over time? I don’t understand why the hearing comes back and then checks out again. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hi Juliet:
If it were age related hearing loss, then it wouldn’t come and go (unless you are getting younger then older then younger, etc. again). So obviously your ENTs diagnosis is nonsense.
What makes the most sense is that you have Eustachian tube problems–either clogged up or not working properly–thus giving you the blocked feeling. That is also indicative of hearing loss. Since tinnitus often accompanies hearing loss, when your ears are blocked, you thus get the tinnitus. When your ears clear (for whatever reason), your hearing returns and the tinnitus goes away.
This could be caused by allergies or colds, but you didn’t mention those conditions. Another reason could be that your neck is out of proper alignment, especially in the C4-C5 area causing your trigeminal nerve to be partially pinched–and thus not able to work properly. Since one of the jobs of your trigeminal nerve is to control your Eustachian tubes, that could also account for your varying blocked feeling/hearing loss. As you move your neck and the nerve is less pinched, your symptoms go away until the next time.
You could notice this when you are stressed or anxious which tightens up your muscles and thus pulls on your vertebrae causing the ear problems.
So there’s a couple of more-likely scenarios based on the little you’ve told me about your situation.
Cordially,
Neil
Thank you for your reply, Dr. Bauman. I was also confused about the ENT’s explanation, since it’s episodic. Time to see a different doctor, armed with the information you’ve given me about Eustachian vs trigeminal nerve issues. I do take a diuretic, but not for the usual reasons — It’s because of carpal tunnel issues that weren’t responsive to surgery (my hands and arms go numb without the medication). Hopefully I’ll find a solution to the ear issues without having to stop the meds, but we’ll see! — J.J.
Hi Juliet:
What caused your carpel tunnel problems? One common cause is bending your wrists back to type on a keyboard. Your wrists should always be straight on slightly bent down, like the typists of old were instructed. But now-a-days, people sit with their laptops and bend their wrists up instead of lowering the keyboard so your wrists are not bent up at all.
The same can be true when using a mouse if your wrist is bent up instead of down.
Another cause is poor posture and thus your neck vertebrae get out of whack (to use a fancy medical term). This can pinch the nerves that go down your arms and result in numbness.
Cordially,
Neil