by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.
A woman explained:
When I nod my head, or shake it from side to side (yes-ing or no-ing), I hear chimes. Kind of like those chime toys that babies have, that when they are touched sway side to side and there’s a little chime inside. Do you know of anyone else that experiences this?
Hearing chimes when you nod or shake your head is not particularly common to be sure, but it is not unknown either. I knew a lady that every time she shook her head she heard the pure tone “F”. You have some thing like she has.
There are all sorts of strange kinds of tinnitus. For example, some people hear a special tinnitus sound when they turn their head all the way right or left, or bend over (somatic tinnitus). Others hear their tinnitus when they move their eyes (gaze-evoked tinnitus). Your tinnitus chimes when you nod or shake your head.
I’m curious how common this kind of tinnitus is. If any of you reading this have a similar kind of tinnitus, I’d love to hear of your experiences.
Theresa says
I also have the same type of thing when I shake my head. I must say I have a constant sound in one of my ears regardless of what I am doing. At times it is real loud, so loud you would swear someone else can hear it. And from time to time I will hear what sounds like the sound of a pre-natal ultra sound. This came on very suddenly along with the lost of hearing. I don’t feel dizzy,sometimes I feel like perhaps I haven’t ate and feel weak but not dizzy. My Doctor has not be able to say what Caused this. First he thought wax build up so he for the lack of better description power washed my ear, no difference
So next with tried medication thinking maybe there was water deep down in my ear. Three weeks later no difference. Just wish I knew what happened.
Robin says
Did you ever heal the bell sound? I’ve had it for 2 months now linked to sudden hearing loss.
Karesa Brooks says
I have heard chimes in my ear for a week now. Especially when I yawn. It just started and I couldn’t describe the sound I was hearing until I read this. Am I losing my hearing sooner than I should? I’m 34 years old, and this just started a week ago. I haven’t been sick or had an ear infection.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Karesa:
As far as I know, nodding chime tinnitus is NOT a precursor to hearing loss, so don’t worry about losing your hearing in this regard.
What did you do the day or two before your chimes began? Did you twist your neck or jaw, bump your head, kink in your neck or shoulders, etc? Anything you can think of? Maybe even yawn extra hard?
Cordially,
Neil
John Luquer says
Neil. Sorry to but in but I could not find the bottom of the thread. I’ve had tinnitus for years. Tmj as well. Chimes started tonight when I shake my head. I’m a 54 year old truck driver and had a kink in my neck last 2 nights from sleeping in an awkward position.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi John:
In your case, you are thinking that your nodding chime tinnitus is the result of your neck being out. I’ll be interested in knowing when your neck straightens out if your nodding chime tinnitus goes away or not.
Cordially,
Neil
Jami says
I had pain in my shoulder when mine started. I’m glad I know I’m not crazy now.
I had one episode of what I believed to be vertigo at the time. I could not decipher space visually. The person I was looking at appeared to be becoming 2demensional with the books behind him.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Jami:
vertigo is when you have either a spinning sensation or out back and forth movement such as you might experience sitting in a rocking chair for example. Whatever you experienced doesn’t sound like vertigo to me, but more like a distortion of some sort, and for some reason.
Cordially,
Neil
Mandy says
Not sure what I’ve been experiencing last two days but I think I have the symtoms listed above … And I plugged my nose and blew gently but kinda medium pressure when I kept hearing those sounds when I shake my head and it stopped the noises… But that’s so weird because I’ve been having lots of those listed above it scares me …
Ross says
Hi Neil,
I had somatic tinnitus after a c-spine herniation. After 6 months the tinnitus went away. I am still left with this bazaar issue. Whenever I hear a low noise, like the noise of the clicking of a computer mouse, or turning pages of a newspaper, I receive a chime to my ear. Is this still regarded as a tinnitus? Will this go away? I have been put on Tegretol to calm the nerves down. Will physio help in this situation with my neck? Is it a trigeminal issue regarding a pinched or irritated nerve. Sometimes it goes away for days and then it comes back. Sometimes the noise is super sentitive to the ear and some days not as sensitive.What are my options or suggestions, so I can get rid of these chimes for the last 9 months?
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Ross:
I’d consider it a special form of reactive tinnitus called “reactive distortion”. Reactive tinnitus has two components–tinnitus and loudness hyperacusis. With reactive distortion, the original sound is distorted–often with another louder sound piggybacked on the original sound.
I’ve not heard of your form of this where a chime sound is piggybacked on the original sound.
What is the situation with your neck now? Is the herniation pressing on your nerves or not? Any trauma to the nerves could be the problem. If there is ongoing pressure to your nerves, that could be causing this to persist. Once the nerves “heal”, the chimes could/should go away.
Is the Tegretol helping or not? If there is no clear help, just be aware that Tegretol messes up your hearing perception in addition to causing phantom sounds and hyperacusis. If it were me, I’d dump the drug unless it is really helping.
What happens to it in the future I think depends a lot on what your neck is doing now. If any nerves are pinched, that will continue to be a problem. If an upper cervical chiropractor can get things in proper alignment and “unpinch” the nerves, then as the nerves heal, I’d expect the chimes and super sensitivity to slowly go away.
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 special upper cervical spine chiropractor by clicking on http://www.upcspine.com/ , then click on the “Practitioners” tab and then choose your state. Then scroll through the listings to find a UCS chiropractor near you.
Once you are properly aligned, I’d see what symptoms you still have–they may have gone away with this treatment–and if you still have problems contact me and I’ll help you decide what the next step should be.
Cordially,
Neil
vanesa says
after going to dentist on 4.5.21 because my jaw was open over 2 hrs and grinding vibration and noise on # 19 & 14 molars my left side head face jaw tmj trigeminal nerve and many teeth were affected . inflammation set in and i got that nodding chime along w several wks of hyperacusis . pain and what i found to be tonic tensor tympani syndrome. now i have more dramatic tinnitus in left ear and a muffled full feeling w opposite condition of less hearing capacity! ive a history of head injuries and autoimmune and both pusatile left ear and common tinnitus both ears since 2007. would love to know how to heal! thanks vanesa
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Vanesa:
That’s a long time to keep your mouth open. I try to close my mouth as often as possible–even if just for an instant while the dentist changes drills, etc–to let my muscles relax so bad things don’t happen.
Has the inflammation gone away now? What have you done for you situation so far? It may only take time, but if you still have underlying problems, you need to address them.
Tell me more about your situation and I’ll see what I can suggest to help you get back to normal.
Cordially,
Neil
Jane says
I got Covid. I have had tinnitus for years constant ringing but since I got Covid if I shake my head o hear a definite tone
Julie says
Did this tone from Covid ever go away?
vicky says
yes just started! right ear. Perfect high D note
Ross Cardazzi says
Hi Dr Bauman,
I have visited an upper cervical chiropractor. After the first session, it was amazing. My symptoms all disappeared. This lasted for 10 days. Now the symptoms have come back. The chiropractor tells me it is probably edema around the nerve. I have had four more sessions with him, but he has not touched my upper cervical. He says I will make the upper cervical heal. The fact that the symptoms came back, is that worrisome,? What do you think should be my next step? These chimes are still causing me lots of anxiety. What is your opinion, how much time before this resolves. I started with my somatic tinnitus 10 months ago. Do you think C1 and C2 went back to misalignment? Should he redo the manipulation? What do you think is the timeframe before everything heals? Should I consider massage therapy? By the way, I have dropped all the meds, as they were not working, as per your advice.Thanks once again for your advice. Ross
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Ross:
Has your chiropractor done any testing (thermography, x-rays, etc) to see if your C1 and C2 are still properly aligned? If not, why not? It may be true there is edema round the nerve–I don’t know–but no upper cervical guy I’ve ever talked to has ever mentioned this.
So in answer to your questions, I’d want my C1 and C2 checked again to be sure they are still in proper alignment because they can and do go “out” at first before they learn to finally “hold” their proper positions. So I think that after 10 days, yours probably went “out” again. If your current guy won’t check them, I think I’d dump him and find another one who will.
If your C1 and C2 are still in proper alignment, then there is one other possibility I can think of and that is called retracing. When your neck goes out over a number of months or years, and your chiropractor puts it back in alignment, the pressure is taken off the nerves–and they slowly heal in the reverse order that your symptoms showed up. So if you have more than one symptom, the last one to show up should be the first to disappear. I’m not sure retracing explains your situation since you only mention one symptom.
Since you know upper cervical works for you, I think I’d find another guy and get his opinion.
Incidentally, what technique did your guy use?
Cordially,
Neil
Ross Cardazzi says
Hi Neil,
To answer your question, the chiropractor will be taking x-rays only after the 12th session. So this means at the end of May. He is using the Blair method. Should I just continue with sessions, and see if it is in a healing process and monitor my symptoms that they are getting better or worse? And yes basically I have one symptom, which is the noise sensitivity frequency causing a chime.
Just to clarify, he did take initial X-rays that showed that I was misaligned.
Thanks
Ross
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Ross:
They don’t do x-rays every session–that would be excessive, but good chiropractors have at least two ways of checking alignment. One is typically x-rays and the second is often a heat sensitive measure (theromography) which they can do far more often–especially if you tell him the tinnitus returned.
I can’t see why a chiropractor wouldn’t check to be sure the treatment was holding when you tell him it doesn’t appear to be.
Cordially,
Neil
Ross+Cardazzi says
Hi Neil,
I would like to thank you for suggesting an UCC. After 6 weeks my symptoms disappeared. I just had to be patient from the beginning. The UCC knew what he was doing and now I can live my life without this constant sensitivity issue. Thanks once again for your forum and hope others follow your advise for their well-being. Ross
Liz says
For several months I have had a low C musical note in one ear when I nod my head, and a high F musical note in the same ear when I shake my head. Thank you all for teaching that this may be related to my arthritic neck.
Michelle Liou says
I have spans of vertigos and my ear only rings when I shake my head. I thought it was Meniere’s disease but I dont have hearing loss.
Please help.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Michelle:
Tell me more about your episodes of vertigo. When did they start? How often do you get them? Etc.?
Were you ever in a car accident or have you ever had head trauma?
The more I know about your situation, the better chance I have of helping you.
Cordially,
Neil
Scarlet says
Hi Neil,
My experience is very similar to Michelle’s with ear ringing and tinnitus in only my right ear. I’m 21. I had bad vertigo every few days for a few months, the vertigo has stopped but my balance is still very affected. I have never had head trauma. When I listen to music with headphones it is significantly sharper in my right ear also.
I would really appreciate your help.
Thank you. Scarlet
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Scarlet:
Tell me much more about your experience. The more I know, the more chances I have of getting insight into your condition. What was going on in your life in the weeks before your vertigo attacks started? Were you taking any drugs/medications? Did you have any active virus back then?
What is your balance like now?
When you say sharper–do you mean louder/distorted a bit, or do you mean higher in pitch?
Cordially,
Neil
Billie says
Just noticed this last night. When I yawn I hear wind chimes sound. I though t I was hearing my chimes from outside, but no.
Michelle Liou says
Hi, i usually have short spans of vertigo throughout the day, but it goes away within a week. And i only experience this about 1-2 times a year.
No, I was never in a car accident nor did I have head trauma.
It started I think about 3 years ago.
Thank you
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Michelle:
What brings on these vertigo attacks? Movements certain ways, taking certain drugs, or what?
What happened in your life back 3 years ago just before the vertigo attacks started?
Cordially,
Neil
Michelle Liou says
Usually it happens when i do sudden movements like getting up or sitting down. I don’t remember anything significant happening 3 years ago before the vertigo attacks. Also i don’t have vertigo anymore now but i still hear ringing when I shake my head and occasionally hear ringing without doing anything.
Heather says
I have had very similar dizzy episodes and ringing in my ears when shaking my head. The passing out came on very suddenly about six months ago while driving. I was seen by a doctor who did many blood test, blood pressure, 24hr heart monitor and Ecg’s. None of them came back abnormal. I continue to get dizzy while driving on highway. I saw a physiotherapist who said I had peripheral vestibular disease and one of the exercises was to shake my head back and forth really fast till i felt dizzy and try to push past it. This is when I realized the ringing in my ears. Any suggestions. Still Cant drive and exercises are not helping.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Heather:
Peripheral vestibular disease is just a fancy way of saying the balance part of your inner ears isn’t working properly. There is no “disease” as such. One common cause is from taking one of the many drugs that damage your balance system. If the balance system in both ears is damaged, then visually “busy” scenes and moving scenes can cause you to be dizzy and disoriented.
How long have you had these dizzy episodes? Were you taking any drugs in the weeks before this first happened?
Cordially,
Neil
Arthur says
Hello Neil.
I have the tinkling bell sound in both ears. The left ear when I shake my head and the right ear when I hiccup.
I have been suffering tinnitus in both ears for 10 or more years and over time have learned to live with it. As it is a white noise it’s easier to accept/tolerate. I have been using hearing aids for about 6 years and help a little with my hearing loss but do nothing for the tinnitus. My hearing loss was caused by unprotected industrial noises in my working life.
I’m 73 yo, I have never taken any regular meds. and am on nothing currently. No BP is below normal for my age and I have my bloods checked every 12 months and everything is well within the “normal” .
The bell sounds started about 5 weeks ago and were caused by a tyre exploding close to my left ear. It also caused a deteriation in my hearing ability. I have had the hearing aids adjusted but without much improvement.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Arthur:
The tire exploding near your ear caused you to have Acoustic Shock dysfunction. This has left you with increased hearing loss (no surprise there) and distorted hearing when you shake your head. Is your hearing loss more of a muffled feeling rather than just loss of volume?
Cordially,
Neil
vicky says
I wish I could help. The piano key D just started.
Hddhd says
I have a chime when I shake my head and a constant ringing in my right ear
Karen says
Same here. Nothing special happened either, no vertigo, accidents, or anything memorable. There is history of hearing loss on my father’s side of the family.
Jordan says
Could this be the wonderful 5 G? I just now had that thought! T mobile puts up hundreds a day. Thousands a month. Where do you guys sit or have the chiming ear facing? My right one leads right out to my street and hwy. I am weak, pain throughout whole body. So fatigued I have to rest and sleep. You guys! This is mutating cancer causing radiation and we are putting it with our phones right up to our ears. This is NOT Conspiracy thought. 5G is dangerous. Will we allow any and every thing? For what? Look at all the 5 G cams across this country & planet. Now I am mad.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Jordan:
I doubt the 5G or EMF is the cause of nodding chime tinnitus, although it certainly is damaging to our bodies. I think that nodding chime tinnitus tends to be the result of physical damage to the auditory system.
Cordially,
Neil
Darren says
I also hear chime noisesin my head when i shake my head
Eva says
I’ve had this for over a year. I get it when I tilt my head to the left and when I shake my head side to side. I’ll get it when shifting my eyes. To the right as well. I have had bouts of positional vertigo over the last few years and sometimes I’ll just get it with no change in position or movement, almost like the floor is moving out from under me
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Eva:
When you shift your eyes do you hear chimes or some other tinnitus sound?
Hearing your eyes moving may also be one of the symptoms of having conductive hyperacusis.
When you get the weird vertigo like you do, it may be due to vestibular hyperacusis. Is your vertigo related to the presence or absence of sounds?
Cordially,
Neil
Michele says
I to have had a constant ringing sensation in my left ear which started yesterday evening. This morning when I woke up the ringing is still there with the exception of also hearing a sound similar to the sound made was when you tap a metal piece of cutlery against a glass or mug. This singular little ‘tink’ sound occurs every 20 to 60 seconds with no apparent regularity. I’ve tried blowing my nose, rolling my head and eyes side to side but non of these seem to speed up or slow down the frequency of the tink.
William Whitmore says
I Told My Wife I Hear A Bell Ringing In My One Ear When I Shake My Head And She Laughed She Thinks I’m Crazy I’m Glad I’m Not Alone
What Can I Do To Make It Stop
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi William:
You’re definitely not alone.
I’m now thinking that nodding chime tinnitus is a form of somatic tinnitus. Thus, it arises from signal sent from the non-classical pathways–in other words, the signals are not sent via your auditory nerve but other nerves sending other sensory signals. When these signals reach your brain, they are wrongly routed to the auditory processing parts of your brain where you hear them as sound.
If these nerves are over activated, probably the solution is to calm them down if these weird sounds are bothering you if not, just let them be and enjoy being “weird”.
Cordially,
Neil
Melinda Gindes says
I had a new bridge out/in and ever since I think I’ve had chime tinnitus in my right ear when i nod my head or turn my head a certain way. It’s like a metal tone.
joellen jones says
I have a constant ringing in my ears, and occasionally I hear beautiful chimes playing an unknown melody or scale in my left ear. My ENT suggested it might be a psychological problem; however, I know it’s not. In fact, the chimes are almost a welcome sound over that constant and irritating ringing in both ears. I have stuffiness in my head and some vertigo but function ok daily.
Dr. Neil says
Hi Joellen:
I think your beautiful chimes playing is probably not tinnitus, but Musical Ear Syndrome (MES). MES is not psychological as such, but generally is the result of damage to the auditory system in some way–such as tinnitus, hearing loss, etc.
You can read about Musical Ear Syndrome at http://www.hearinglosshelp.com/articles/mes.htm.
Regards
Neil
Chris says
I have not experienced chimes but have a ring in my right ear only, which is the better of my two ears, when i shake my head or turn it quickly. It sounds to me exactly like the tones played during a hearing test. Is it anything to be concerned by or just something annoying i’ll have to live with along with my hearing loss?
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Chris:
I tend to think it is nothing to be concerned about, just something that is peculiar to your ears that you have to put up with. If a change is significantly, that could be another thing and maybe you should have it looked at.
Cordially,
Neil
Jacqueline Carolan says
I have a steam engine in my right ear and the chime in my left, the steam never stops – the chime is when I turn my head quickly or sometimes when I turn on a pillow? Does it need investigation?
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Jacqueline:
What caused your “steam engine” and nodding-chime tinnitus? Any ideas? Knowing what caused your tinnitus gives a clue as to what treatment may be effective, or whether you need further investigation. The problem is–is that few doctors have ever heard of nodding chime tinnitus so they don’t know what to do/say.
Cordially,
Neil
Nicole Owensby says
I, too, hear this lovely-sounding chime (of two different pitches; one pitch per ear). This only occurs when I shake my head from side to side. Nodding, however, produces a different sound; something like a softly executed note, coming from a wind instrument. When my head is at rest, I hear a high-pitched ring and a lower-pitch, simultaneously. This is accompanied by a constant pulsating noise. All of these things, combined, make it difficult to hear everything else- the world around me is half drowned out. All I’ve ever been told, by an ENT, was that I had an abundance of wax buildup. The flush that he claimed would help, made no difference.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Nicole:
When a medical doctor with a specialty in ENT makes an idiotic statement that nodding chime tinnitus is caused by wax in your ears, you know he doesn’t have a clue. And the proof of that is that flushing out your ears didn’t help.
I wish I knew the exact cause of nodding-chime tinnitus. Then I might have a clue how you could effectively treat it.
Cordially,
Neil
Len says
I too hear tones when I shake my head left to right and a different tone when I nod yes. I seems to have came on suddenly when I had some major dental work. It was accompanied by a loss of hearing. I also have a constant ringing my left ear. I spoke with a couple of ENT and MD’s and when I ask if they have heard about MES they just look at me and say ahh err not really.
Yolzy says
My chimes are there even if I don’t move. I had pressure in both ears. So, I put Ear Drops that help clear out wax. Then I was able to hear. Two days later I can’t hear with my right ear. If I push the little flap near the ear hole and release it sounds like strumming a guitar. Then one day after that, the chimes. I thought it was from outside lol
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Yolzy:
The flap of skin by your ear canal is called the tragus (in case you are interested).
So you hear the chimes without moving any body part? I’ve never heard of that before, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. You are a case in point.
I wonder how long your chimes are going to stay. Let me know of any new developments.
Cordially,
Neil
Susan Willows says
Have you tried a chiropractor? I wouldn’t recommend one who does a lot of cracking – don’t ever let anyone crack your neck. Some really good neck, shoulder, and skull massage might help.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Nicole and Susan:
The best kind of chiropractor for this is an upper cervical spine chiropractor. They do not crack your neck. You can find one at http://www.upcspine.com/ .
Cordially,
Neil
JoAnn says
Wow, thank you! I too hear a musical sound when I shake my head too vigorously, like when I swing my hair off my face. At first I thought someone was beeping a car horn outside. Then I realized it was in my head. I’m going to read the article you suggested.
C O says
I have the constant ringing in my ears. It seems like it is coming from somewhere between my ears, so a thought it originated in my brain. But a week ago I chanced to shake my head from side to side rapidly and lo and behold it sounded like the bell ring of an older telephone. Now when I want to entertain myself I shake my head. My wife does not understand.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi C O:
How do you expect your wife to understand that the man she married is now a real “ding-a-ling”! Cool–isn’t it? Don’t let it bother you because I don’t know of any sure-fire way to get rid of it.
Incidentally, tinnitus (ringing in your ears) can appear to come from one ear, the other ear, both ears or just inside your head. This can vary from minute to minute so where it comes from may be no big deal. Your just happens to not appear to come from your ears–it’s just “there” in your head. Mine does that sometimes, but mostly I hear it in one or both ears. That’s just the way it is.
Cordially,
Neil
Jim says
I have VA disability for tinnitus and hearing loss. The tinnitus is a constant loud hissing in both ears. However, in the past couple of weeks, when I shake my head from side to side (saying No), I’m hearing something new in my right ear only. It sounds like an emergency vehicle, two tone, woo-woo, woo-woo, woo-woo. Is this something to worry about?
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Jim:
Only if you’re standing in the middle of the street and see a red flashing light coming towards you. LOL
It’s not normal to hear such sounds when you shake your head, but so far I haven’t come across a definitive cause of this, nor does it seem to be indicative of any serious condition so for now I’d just ignore it.
Cordially,
Neil
Ana says
Me!!! I’ve had ringing for years now, since I was about 30 years old. Lately, i’ve been hearing chimes in my right ear! I was worried til I saw this post. Thanks!
Judy says
Thank you. I thought I was crazy. A constant white noise in both ears, but when I shake my head I hear a bell tingling. My mother would have said, so don’t shake your head. I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one.
Pamela says
This started in 1996. I woke up one morning with the room spinning. worse than a rotary at the Great Escape. This went on for several hours I couldn’t walk or see as the spinning prevented me from doing so. My mother was visiting,she brought me to the ER they sent me to an ENT,he said it was due to an inner ear infection,then gave me exercises to do. I have since wound up with vertigo. Whether my eyes open or closed movement of my head or just my eyes causes this sensation,not a good one at that. I have asked Dr’s about this ringing/chimes in my head/ears. I have been to eye Dr’s neurologists,ENT,dentists,TMJ specialists etc and to balance therapy,yeah big help NOT. This comes and goes with no notice. I have had headaches and migraines since I was 14 I am now 45 still having them with no relief. Neurologist put me on hydroxyz and propranolol after trying this for about a year and telling them there is no difference all they did was increase the dose. The chimes,ringing,blurred vision,headaches and nausea are enough to drive one nuts. Is there any relief from this without pills? Thank you.
L Luci says
This is probably due to the crystals in your ear that have moved out of place. They test you for this by bending you backward from the waist up, off the side of the exam table so that your head is lower than your feet. If it is due to the crystals you will get very dizzy while it is done. My daughter has a PHD in Physical Therapy and she treats this once in a while.
Marcos says
I’d had this crystals moved out of place and an specialist, with the movements described solved the problem for me, for ever!
I can confirm what L Luci says.
denice says
Yes! go to a good chiropractor!! My son suffered from weekly migraines for years, and now has not had one in 6 months since going to a chiropractor.
Please try it!!!
Rosemary says
I am dismayed by these comments. I have lost the hearing in my ear for 5 days and the chimes & tinnitis are present. I cannot carry on daily life as I have vertigo. GP diagnosed fluid in inner ear which cheered me some, but now it seems that it could be permanent? Incidently I did have right/left stapedectomy some years ago which have been so far very successful. It seems that ears are somewhat of an unknown quantity.
S says
Go to a chiropractor, it’s related to the neck and can be healed!
Maire says
I started hearing ‘chimes’ in my head when shaking or nodding about nine months ago. A bit like wind chimes Had a sinus infection and thought it would go away after treatment, but still with me. No sound in my ears only there when i shake or nod my head. Relief to hear someone describing the same symptoms. Attending ENT and due to go for a cat scan. Also feel very Muzzy and headachy. Will let you know if they make a diagnosis
Gloria Lambert says
I thought I was going crazy until I looked up hearing sounds when shaking head. People think I am crazy when I tell them. It has been happening for a long time now but only when I shake my head. No other ringing or anything at any other time. The sound I hear sounds like….doodaloodaloodaloo every time I shake it. I have read so many different things it could be. I do have allergies and I get headaches and I have arthritis in my neck.
Mark K says
Sounds like you have the same thing I have. When I shake my head from side to side, I get two different tones – one for each direction. When I shake my head up and down (as in “yes”), I get a completely different single tone, much higher.
Donna says
Same here, no hearing loss but varying degrees of “regular” tinnitis and now for the past few weeks this chime sound in my left ear if I shake my head fairly quickly side to side (as if saying “no”). Haven’t been to an ENT yet, maybe it’s time.
Michael Yost says
I too experience this pocket watch chiming in my ears. It started about 4 years ago and it was if someone had an expensive pocket watch chiming nearby. Now at 56 I still “enjoy” the chiming occasionally but, it’s getting more muted as time progresses. I also find some anti-depressants increase the other ringing in my ears I suffer from. No shaking required, It just does it’s thing when it wants too.
Alex says
I started noticing early 2009 that when I shook my head, like nodding yes or no, I heard a “fluting” sound in my right ear — which could also be described as a chime. I had no other symptoms so did nothing about it. Then in October 2009 woke one morning to find hearing greatly reduced in right ear. Went to nurse who looked in ear and said I had wax, so recommended a week of putting in olive oil to soften it up. Did that and went back to nurse who said the wax had gone but my hearing had not returned to normal. Doctor prescribed nasal spray and drops, which I took for a month with no improvement. Then variable hissing sound started in right ear and has continued ever since. Cut a long story short, after many tests and scans, diagnosed with idiopathic sudden onset sensorineural hearing loss — apparently it’s idiopathic because the actual cause cannot be determined, though most likely cause is virus. Discharged with a prescription of steroids and told by consultant that if I ever experienced another episode of sudden hearing loss, then I should start the five-day course of steroids straight away. So far I have not had to and amount of hearing loss has not changed.
Cathy Burton says
The hissing and then chimes when I shake my head began about 30 mins after taking 50mg of B6 accompanied by itching so the B6 interactd with some other med I have been on like Deplin I recently started or Viibryd. That was a day and a half ago and it’s still there.
Earlier in the day my chiropractor had used the activator on my head in several places then later that night I tool the B6 as he instructed for the nervous system.
Help
Dr. Neil says
Hi Cathy:
I’d think that you may have had an allergic reaction to the Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine)and/or the Deplin (folic acid–Vitamin B9). Both of these vitamins can cause itching and rashes due to allergic reactions.
Who knows how an allergic reaction might have affected your ears? Perhaps it caused the strange tinnitus too.
Regards
Neil
Linda Helin says
So glad I found this post… thought I was losing it! I have had tinnitus for at least 20yrs, and I now wear hearing aids bilaterally for high frequency loss. About a week ago, the musical notes started…. they are multi frequency and harmonious. Beautiful really. Need to shake my head “no” vigorously to experience them. Reminds me of those cheap plastic flexible tubes that children swing around their heads… quite similar to the lady in the first post with the baby chime toy… I know exactly what she means. Even if the last time i heard one was about 1960!
marlene says
I am glad to read I am not the only one,I hear like a wind chime but only 1 note when I shake my head side to side.I do have a metal cage around my cervicaal spine because I had a tumor removed and 2 discs rebuilt,it could be that.This just started 3 years after.
John says
I have the wind chime in my right ear. It happened without my shaking my head. It is just annoying. I do not have to shake my head. I will be watching TV or on my computer and it just starts. I find if i press my palm against my ear and then pull it away I get a sucking like feeling and sound and the chimes go away for a while. Actually, during the last two days I have only heard the chimes once for a short time and then I suctioned my ear as mentioned above and have not heard the chimes since. (Probably famous last words)
Harry says
When I nod my head with a little force I hear 2 distinct chime tomes. C sharp from “yes” and G sharp from “no”. It is present 24/7 at will with these movements. It began in May 2012 when I had a mini stroke. The frequency of the notes has not ever changed, as i check them against my piano. I also have slight tinnitus for most of my life. I am 70 years old. Now I can tune any string instrument without a tuning fork, and mimic perfect pitch using the tones as a reference.
Ted says
I am 82 have had tinnitus in my right ear for at least 10 years. I often do not notice it unless something reminds me that I have it. I also have high frequency hearing loss in both ears and occasionally wear hearing aids. This evening was a hearing aid evening at a lecture. After removing the hearing aids I shook my head during which I heard a perfect high quality F tone, not unlike a flute. It did not seem to be associated with one ear. It was not loud and it was fully reproducible. Fifteen minutes later shaking my head produced a sound that was lower pitched, not musical and again bilateral. I am waiting for the next episode of this scary but not unpleasant adventure.
Sandy De Cruz says
I went to the doctor a few years ago and asked what the metal sounds were when I shook my head. I was just told dont shake your head?
Caryn says
Wow! I just looked this up, thought I was hearing things. Never expected to see so much response. I also have a chime sound in my ears but only when I shake it from side to side. I also have meniers disease. I feel so much better knowing that I am not alone and that it is nothing serious!
Brendan says
Just stumbled across this web site. I’ve had tinnitus for many years (I’m now 57). I rate mine at ‘moderate PLUS’ level. The tinnitus has increased in intensity in the last few months, and I have also developed the additional sounds when moving my head left to right & up and down (different frequency for up down, compared to left right movement – and these are all different again to the tinnitus – mine is like have a Dr Who sonic screwdriver placed against each ear 24/7. My GP has been somewhat dismissive of the condition – they just don’t get it. It’s comforting to know that this web site exists. Cheers.
Vince V. says
Hello all,
Iam a 44 yr old male & I got mild tinnitus about 6 months ago in my right ear from a single gun shot from a 9mm pistol within 10ft of me (I was wearing an ear plug only in my left ear.)
Since then, I have noticed the ‘chimes’ in both my ears when I shake or nod my head. The funny thing is, I hear a different tone in each ear depending if I shake or nod.
Now here is the GOOD NEWS… I have recently noticed that if I get my heart rate up (like when exercising) it totally disappears!
Iam not a Dr. but this tells me that it could possibly be a circulation issue maybe…
Anyone else experience this??
lisa says
Wow, I to thought I was the only person going through this. Even though I have the whispering chimes in my head, it also comes with some pain as if I will pass out, but then it goes away until next time. It did make me dizzy once and I couldn’t get out of bed or walk. I have had spine injury, a disc fusion with the titanium plate and screws. I never heard this before the surgery. Now, I found out I have degenerative disc in my back… More surgery. There is always some sound in my ear. I don’t know what to do about it. It scares me because of the pressured pain that comes along with it. Is there a doctor out there who can help me with this?
Jim H. says
I’ve had a bit of tinnitus for a number of years & poor hearing (high frquencies) for a long time. The chimes started about 2 months ago. Just like the bell that shopkeepers used to put over their door, or wind chimes. Just a single ring usualy however sometimes they come in strings at exactly regular intervals of about 10 seconds apart, then stop after a couple of minutes. No heading shaking required. At home, in the car, at work. The pitch is very melodious and since I’ve overcome the worry of them, find them quite agreeable. A week ago I acquired hearing aids (nothing to do with the ringing, just tired of unable to understand people at parties etc. – brilliant by the way), the chimes are a bit louder, but just as melodious. Maybe they are a sign of impending trouble, but I’ve decided to enjoy their uniqueness (at least I thought they were unique until I stumbled upon this website). There it goes again!! Ding….
Dr. Neil says
Hi Jim:
I’m curious. What happened 2 months ago, just before the chimes began? Did you have any head trauma? Did you begin a new drug or change the dose on an existing drug? Did you have any viral infection? Were you under undue stress? I’m trying to determine the cause of your chimes if possible.
Thanks
Neil
mary says
I got chimes after undue stress 3 days ago. I lost quite a lot of hearing in the same ear 3 yrs ago after undue stress. I certainly attribute my initial hearing loss to this stress and now the chimes to the same type of stress.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Mary:
Interesting experiences. Stress by itself shouldn’t cause much hearing loss. I think other factors were also involved. For example, drugs may have had a hand in it. Were you taking any drugs or medications at those times?
I can certainly see stress causing tinnitus–and nodding chime tinnitus. This can be from all your muscles in your head, neck and shoulders tightening up due to the stress. This extra tension can pull your neck vertebrae out of alignment and the result can be weird ear problems.
Cordially,
Neil
Jim H. says
Hi Dr. Neil
Nothing happened. It came out of the blue. No head trauma. Lot’s of stress. Had a mini stroke on the golf course a week ago, took about 5 minutes to get single vision back, however upon recovery hit a beautiful wedge 10 feet from the pin. Was shaky for a few holes but picked up fine (Ding!). However I feel perfectly healthy right now. It’s just weird – the pitch of the chimes seem musically exact.
Barry says
Hi, I suffer from permanent tinnitus in one ear. I would liken it to a high pitched whistle. Every now and then I get a full orchestral blast through my head for a split second. This can be brought on through the quietest of noises or touches mainly when going to sleep. Sometimes I have it through the day and seems to be related to eye movement. Is this all likely related to my ear?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Barry:
Occasionally, I get a loud whistle-like sound for only a second or two then it quickly fades away into my background tinnitus. I don’t know what causes it. You may be having the same thing.
If this happens as you are falling asleep or awaking, it my be what are called hypnagogic (falling asleep) or hypnopompic (waking up) hallucinations. These are nothing to worry about. Just be aware that they happen to some people.
Tinnitus related to eye-movements occur with some people. Some people have louder tinnitus or higher pitched tinnitus when they move their eyes side to side or up and down. This is one of the rarer kinds of tinnitus (called gaze-evoked tinnitus). This may be caused by head (brain) trauma in the past.
Regards
Neil
Jaime Spicer says
Like many people who responded, I too thought I was losing my mind. I here either a distinct “B” or a harmonic of the note. I don’t have to shake very hard but I definitely have to shake it “no”. My doctor actually laughed at me when I told him about it.
Now after years of that I have full blown tinnitus. That actually is so loud that it can wake me up at night.
I cleaned the wax out and got my hearing back but a few hours later the roaring and muffled hearing came back.
Any ideas?
(Incidently, the nodding tinnitus never went away)
Dr. Neil says
Hi Jaime:
What changed just before you got the loud tinnitus? Did you begin taking a new drug or change the dose on an existing one?
Since you also have muffled hearing, your tinnitus could be in response to the hearing loss. Did you clean the wax out of your ears yourself, or did you have a doctor do it?
Regards
Neil
Jane Smith says
Hi,I have rubella deafness & in May 2011 suddenly lost more hearing.Idiopathic, meaning nobody knows why it happened. Immediate admission to hospital for 3 days & docs gave me 6 different drugs plus Oxygen therapy!I had previously had bouts of tinnitus with worsened hearing but this would only last a few hours. In the last case it lasted a week before I went to my GP. Nothing worked, so now profoundly deaf with awful tinnitus which I have got used to, except when it gets worse. I also had vertigo attacks for first time later & have had 4 so far. The nodding chime was a new one for me & my doctor didn’t know what it was! It’s more of a whine that starts off loud & fades when I turn my head one way & then repeats when I turn it the other way. If I nod my head up & down it’s a quieter version. It’s only in right ear. The only other time I notice the whine is when I get a fright & jump out of my skin. It’s a sudden loud whine which also makes me jump, afterwards I’m a jangling with nerves! I have taken ibuprofen for back pain for many years & nytol when tinnitus stops me sleeping.
Diane Plunkett says
Well – just ditto! I have had tinnitus of varying degrees for years – today the chimes started. Kind of cool – however I am concerned. For two years now I have had a progression of neurological symptoms – MS was ruled out – rheumatologist doesn’t think it’s Lupus as none of the extensive tests confirm it – so new symptoms are worrisome.
Anyone out there with autoimmune disorder?
Diane
Sue Recker says
Yes, I have RA/RD. Been having issues with chimes sounds in my right ear for 10 years,it just comes and goes. Last night it started and hasn’t stopped
Julie says
Do you still have these chimes? I know this was written a long time ago, hoping you see it!
Ali Firoozfar says
I read all your stories about the nodding up-down the head affected the tinnitus intensity.Despite I am a vet , I have studied so much about this condition , because I have been involved in tinnitus. I believe that tinnitus has many causes , one of the most important factors can be: Wisdom tooth in mandibular and then other ones such as: depression – caffeine – allergy – or any other nervous irritants ( Hot summer days , air pollution or even stress and argument.)
I suggest you to take the tablet ” cinnarizine ” before going to bed and to do some regular exercise to sweat because it might be due to some air under the skin came from malnutrition or eating allergic foods.
Please Do Not eat anything after 10 pm – it lets up the intensity of tinnitus because your interior Vescera puts a pressure under the skin while you are horizontally sleeping .
hakan says
I am 47-yr-old male, and started observing this strange sound in my right ear when I nod from side to side. It is increased if I shake more vigorously. The sound I hear is more different than others here. Hard to explain, kind of like a booing-boooing sound, like how a metal sheet is shaken (like a handsaw for example) and makes that metallic sound. I was getting worried that I have a brain tumor or something, but I got some relief after I read all the comments.
Sue Sharp says
Hi Everyone – I am a 52 year old Woman who has worn hearing aids for about 10 years with no explanation for my hearing loss (apparently not age related!) I have had mild tinnitus for many years but the chimes only started about 2 weeks ago – I woke and said to my partner “can you hear that music?” I put my hearing aids in expecting It to get louder and it didn’t! Now I hear the chimes regularly. I Increased the close of my antidepressants recently as I’ve not been sleeping due to a shoulder Injury and after reading these post and the Doctors reply I wonder if I should reduce it again to see if that helps?
Dr. Neil says
Hi Sue:
If your new tinnitus began within a week or so of increasing your drug dose, that is a good indication that the two are most likely related.
You could try reducing your dose to the old level and see whether your chiming tinnitus also goes away. So often drugs have a “magic threshold” below which you do not get side effects, but once you cross it, the side effects begin. I call it “magic” because no one knows exactly where it is so you have to reduce the dose until you find it. Then stay below it if you want to avoid the side effects.
Regards
Neil
Toni says
Very happy to have found these posts. I’m in my late 40s and in good health, but over the last few months have constantly been hearing faint chime sounds. This only seems to happen in the early morning when I’m still in bed (like 2 am), but sometimes even after I’ve been out of bed for a while. I haven’t noticed it any other time of day and it hasn’t interfered with anything – other than me thinking I’m going nuts. So just reading these posts has helped alleviate that fear – thanks!
Sandra says
So is there nothing to worry about?
Sal says
Like Hakan above, mine is more of a boingboing spring kind of sound. Though today it sounds more like the whirring of a dynamo on a bicycle… Metallic in both cases. Recently had some hearing loss which mostly came back and worsening of tinnitus, with dizziness and a funny feeling in my head. My head also feels bad after shaking in a way I can’t describe. Had tinnitus for 6 years.diagnosed overactive thyroid, not yet medicated, may be linked. Who knows if it’s harmless… And who can tell?
Dan says
Mine is like wetting your finger and rubbing it around the rim of a wine glass. Happens more so if you shake your head in a yes motion.
hugo says
Mine just started this afternoon. First my ears got cloudy. Then a noise like a tv channel without reception. Then the baby chimes. It’s going on 2 hours. There’s almost a pattern to the chimes.
Chuck Kopsho says
I have the tonal differences from shaking and nodding. The shaking produces the effects of a wind chime. The nodding produces the low end frequency of a police/fire siren. Is this common/uncommon with folks with the same condition?
Richard says
I’ve had tinnitus for over 20 years. In july 2014 my left ear suddenly got really loud. It sounds like a car tyre having the air released from it’s valve right next to my ear. I also noticed that when I nod or shake my head now I get a noise that sounds just like the pips you hear in your phone after you dial the number. I had an M.R.I scan that showed nothing wrong in my ear. You have to learn to live with tinnitus and not get stressed about it. Hey, there’s a lot of people out there having to live with far worse every day and would gladly change places.
Noel Young says
I’ve had a tinnitus condition foray least 2 years now that when I shake my head from side to side I hear a bell like ring (as in ting-a-ling) . Also I have a chronic/constant ringing in my ears and chronic light headiness and peripheral neuropathy in my feet. Have been to numerous specialists and none have come up with a definite cause and consequently no treatment has been prescribed. The worst of all these is the light headiness which came on suddeny 2 years ago during the part of a 10-12 klm walk which was in no way stressful but all of a sudden something happened in a “heartbeat” to make me suddenly as I’m walking, unsteady and lightheaded like I was about faint. I didn’t faint and after a thorough check by my doctor a minor stroke was ruled out. I’ve got to the stage now after 2 years and no answers that I don’t where to turn. My best next course is to ask by Doctor GP to have all the cat scans, MRI’s (x 12 months apart), ultrasounds done again. Although I’ve got quite a significant hearing impairment, specialists after testing me rule out a vestibular cause but I can’t help but thinks that given full clearance on my cardiovascular condition, that vestibular must be something to do with it. Would be greatful to hear from others if they can help. Thanks for your time.
sabrina says
For the past 3 days has been horrible for me. I was diagnosed with vertigo last year but just the past 3 days I have went to hell and still there. I am stuck in vertigo purgatory and when I move my head even just a inch to the right or left up or down I hear ringing with my ear drums doing a little puffing so to say. When I hear the quick sound of the ringing it feels as if my eardrums swell for a split second. Even if I move my eyes my ears will ring. I know it may sound complete ludicrous but having my eardrums removed has crossed my mind. With the ringing episodes this is triggering my vertigo attacks. I honestly feel week as water and can’t hold my head up. I feel as if I’m in a living nightmare
penny says
I recently got hearing aids (both ears) and have had ‘mild” tinnitus for many years. However, after 1 week with the hearing aids, I now have “bell” ringing in both ears, like the car signal that says you left your lights on etc. This happens mainly at night in bed (when its quiet) and I think a car in the street has “binging” the owner. Its usually 2 ‘bings”. I also here it during computer work and various times in the day.
The hearing air company/woman said it has nothing to do with the hearing aids and would not cause this effect. She said its just a form of tinnutis that has changed its sound. Previously it was a “whooshing” type sound, which is still in the backgound if I put my attention on it. But the bell ringing is more disconcerting. From this site, I guess I’m not alone and will have to just “get use to it”.
Leah O says
Good to know I am not alone. I also have a sound right ear when I shake my head. I would describe mine a star wars light saber, but a Dr Who sonic screwdriver, or a metal sheet being shaken, would also be good description. Mine started with a moderate to profound sudden sensorial hearing loss (SSHL), in my right ear. MRI did find any reason for the SSHL, but it did find an acoustic neuroma in my left which explained the gradual loss of hearing in left ear. I am SO lucky. Odds of a sudden hearing loss are 5 to 20 in 100,000. Odds for an acoustic neuroma are 1 one or 2 out of 100,000.
Right now my tinnitus is very relaxing… harp and woman’s quire singing in the distance, a high pitched buzz, and slightly different buzzing when I close my eyes. The gaze related tinnitus is somatic and can also be triggered by moving my arms or legs, or being startled. The volume of tinnitus goes up back down in about a second and the peak volume increase as I get more tired. Once a muscle tigers triggers this type of tinnitus it will not do it again for several hours.
There are lots of other tinnitus sounds I get at different times… saccades singing, birds chirping, a diesel truck outside my window, people cheering in a stadium. Often I hear random words chanted in sing-song voice. There are always at least 3 different sound going on in my head and when they get very loud it can get maddening. I have found that trying to relax and carefully listening to the sounds, is the best way of coping. Fighting the tinnitus just makes it worse.
After my Cochlear Implant processor was turned on a month ago, I no longer hear songs sung over and over again. Listening to Silent Night is not too bad, but after hearing “All around the mulberry bush, the monkey chased the weasel” for hours on end, I really thought I was going mad. I think the songs may have be pulsatile tinnitus because the timing always matched my pulse. Buy the way, pulsatile tinnitus can be the only symptom of serious vascular problems. Tinnitus that keeps time with your heart beet, is probably due something vascular, but usually harmless.
Janice says
I am so glad I decided to try to find out about the wierd sound that has begun in my right ear when I shake my head or nod. Was really worried but reading these posts relieves me a bit. Mine seemed to crop up with this years allergies so I am hoping it will ease off some later. I have had tinnitus gor years but notice it mostly when things are quiet, therefore I have the tv on all day to muffle it. I even go to sleep with it now a timer because the tinnitus keeps me awake.
Kath Louttit says
I have ringing (a ‘tinging’ sound)in one ear when I shake it even gently from side to side, in time with the movement. There is also increasing deafness in that ear, probably lost 50 per cent now, in the high tone range. It has been like this for probably two years. I am not on any medication, and am a 67 year old female.
Marie says
I am also glad to have found this site. It is nice to know others have same noisiest when moving your head. It is only in right year which has slowly been losing hearing for about 8 years. At about 50% now. I have been told the hearing loose may be a result of a combination of a very bad ear infection when I was young, and TMJ which may have damaged the nerve.
Sue leonard says
I have a metal noise in mleft ear. It can be triggered by just blinking. I get very nauseous. I don’t know if it is the constant metal sound, like scraping on an old wash board, or the movement of my head that causes the sickness. It can last several days. When this happens, I don’t even feel like getting out of bed. I have had episodes of vertigo before, but this is different. Any advise?
Pearl says
I’ve had tinnitus all my life. I have the chime sound in my ears when I I shake or nod my head. I have high pitched constant ringing which is more pronounced when I’m in bed. I also hear low pitched sound like a boat motor in the distance . from time to time.
dimitri says
sorry to hear that.. i get the same thing. if i just even sleep on my back
and lean my head on the pillow it gets louder.. loud hissing high pitched sound. when i get up itll calm down. sleeping on the side will make it worst cause ill hear it even more.
Sharon says
I have a pulsating tinnitus that started about 10 years ago. It is a sound that never stops unless I am asleep. It’s like I can hear a hiss sound that seems to go along with my heartbeat. About three weeks ago I also added a new sound – the pulsating tinnitus still goes all the time but now when I shake my head from side to side I hear the chime sound as well. The chime sound has a couple of notes much like ringing a little bell chime – it’s different but I am hoping that I don’t add yet another sound. I haven’t talked with anyone about this because they would probably think I’m nuts. Glad to find your website though.
Barry Davis says
Hi Dr. Just yesterday I went through an Ear Examination including an Audiogram. These tests really raise my Anxiety….white coat tension….everything was fine although I have lost some high hearing. Hours later, I noticed when Yawning, I got a short term Chime. A Burp will also give a short Chime but they always disappear. Did the Audiogram do something?
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Barry:
It shouldn’t have, but perhaps the louder sounds in the testing may have temporarily messed up your ears a bit. I think this will go away in a few days as your ears “recover”, assuming that is the problem.
Cordially,
Neil
Deana says
When I shake my head from side to side I get a wind chime sound but it also sounds maybe like a flute…….with pitch changes. It started recently. I have allergies asthma and apnea. I started using a CPAP machine and when I fist started wearing it at night I then felt nauseated and ear pressure during the day. That has since gotten better but I now have this thing when I shake my head and at times dizziness. Is this related to the machine?
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Deana:
I don’t really know, but it seems to have started right after you began using the CPAP machine so there well could be a link. Perhaps you are now holding your head/neck differently while you sleep and that is putting your neck out–and that is causing the nodding chime tinnitus. Is your neck, face or jaw sore or tight at all? If so, that would be a good indication of something not aligned correctly–cervical vertebrae or TMJ.
There may be other causes, but this is the only one that comes to mind at the moment.
Cordially,
Neil
Carlos Guadiana says
When i shake my head my left ear rings what could it be?How can i fix it?
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Carlos:
You’ve already read the Nodding Chime Tinnitus article so you know what it is. I suspect it is a form of somatosensory tinnitus–meaning that the muscles of your face and neck are tight and out of balance. This may be caused by your jaw or upper cervical vertebrae being “out”.
If I’m correct, then seeing an upper cervical chiropractor and/or physiotherapist/massage therapist may get rid of it.
Cordially,
Neil
Carlos Guadiana says
Is there some exercises i can do to help? Sorry i spelled my last name wrong on the first one
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Carlos:
I’m not aware of any exercises that help nodding chime tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Carlos Guadiana says
What causes the muscles to be out?
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Carlos:
Head trauma of any kind can do it. So can stress which tightens the muscles in your neck.
Cordially,
Neil
Carlos says
Ive never had a headtrauma before my tinnitus started
Carlos says
Im telling you it might be the braces that caused tinnitus because it tightens everything.like the jaw
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Carlos:
It’s a definite possibility.
Cordially,
Neil
Carlos Guadiana says
The weird thing is that i dont have vertigo just ringing in left ear and gets louder when i open my mouth and turn my head.and i dont have any pain.Please reply
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Carlos:
This means that you do have a form of tinnitus called somatosensory tinnitus. Either chiropractic and/or physiotherapy and/or massage can be the answer. You may need a combination of all three. I explain all this in much greater detail in my book on tinnitus that you can get at http://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/
Cordially,
Neil
carlos says
should i be doing exercises? or it makes it worse? i have been to an ent but they didnt find anything wrong with me,so then they just told me to come back next year.
carlos says
let me tell you something the first day i got ringing in my ears was wheni went to a swimming pool,then the next day i was laying down,and suddenly i heard a ringing in my left ear then i went to the doctor and found alot of wax so they removed it but it hurt alot,it did reduce tinnitus,but it didnt remove it,could they damaged my ear thats why when i open my jaw and turn my neck it rings louder? this was last year what happened.
Carlos Guadiana says
Can i do exercises to help thos?
Carlos says
I have been to an ent last year,but they didnt find anything that is causing my tinnitus,hopefully its just my braces that is causing pressure to my left ear.thats why it rings louder when i i open my mouth,ive been having braces for 2 years tinnitus for one year.please reply.
Barbara Skousen says
I have had tinnitus since I was a small child, but as an adult I have the strange sound, like a tonal bell in my head, almost feels like in my brain, when I roll over in bed at night.
It is loud enough for me to notice in my sleep.
It is unsettling because I think when I am groggy it is a brain tumor.
I have hearing loss in both ears and wear a hearing aid when I need them.
Cindy says
Thank goodness I found this site. About 2 months ago I was playing with my 7 month old grandchild, my first, and we were both shaking our heads when I heard this internal sound. When I shake my head from side to side I hear chimes… up and down it sounds like a woodpecker pecking. Another thing I’ve noticed the last couple of days is that I can be listening to music and the music hinges keys… too weird. I’m a nurse and find this fascinating.
rod says
I was at the gun range about 9 months ago and had less that appropriate ear protection. ever since then have had a bell ringing in my ears when I shake my head. Lost some hearing right away but got better after a week or so however still have the ringing.
Amy says
I am 44 year old woman and this, literally, just started minutes ago. It sounds like a bell you tap to get service at a hotel or store. I coughed really hard and it just started. Every time my cat meows it makes the chime go off. Bonus ear issue…the same ear feels stuffy and clogged.
I’m a little scared.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Amy:
I’m wondering if your violent cough put the first two vertebrae in your neck out of proper alignment causing the auditory nerve to be pinched and/or your trigeminal nerve to be pinched. Your trigeminal nerve controls your Eustachian tube among other things and if it malfunctions, you can get the stuffed/clogged feeling.
I think the bell sound is related to somatosensory tinnitus which can result from muscles in your head and neck being tight and resulting in weird nerve impulses that you hear as chimes.
What I’d suggest is you go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor and make sure your C1 and C2 vertebrae are in proper alignment and if that doesn’t work, have a massage therapist or physiotherapist check your face and neck muscles for any “knots”. Once the tension is all gone, the strange sounds should go too.
You can learn much more about upper cervical chiropractors and where to find them by reading my article “Atlas Adjustments Alleviate Meniere’s Disease” found at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/atlas-adjustments-alleviate-menieres-disease/
I wrote this article specifically for people with Meniere’s disease, but a lot of it also applies to any of the strange sounds we hear when we move our bodies (necks mostly) in certain ways.
Cordially,
Neil
Shirley says
I am 67 years old and had an ear infection about 9 weeks ago. At the time a high pitched sound started in my right ear which is the ear that had the infection. However, the sound is now in both ears. Also when I turn my head left or right I get the chime sound. When I rise in the morning it isn’t really loud but increases quickly during the day and is really disturbing in the evening. I haven’t seen an ENT and am wondering if I should. Everything I seem to read says that there is nothing to help this condition.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Shirley:
I can see tinnitus accompanying ear infections. However, I also think you may have somatosensory tinnitus–that is tinnitus because of a tight neck or shoulders or vertebrae out of proper alignment.
If your tinnitus largely goes away when you lay down, and gets worse the longer you are up (like it seems to be with you), this can be due to the weight of your head pressing on certain nerves that results in louder tinnitus. When you lay down at night, the weight goes off these nerves so they function normally again and your tinnitus goes away. Next morning, your head again presses on these nerves and the longer it does, the worse your tinnitus.
The solution is to go to an upper cervical chiropractor who can get you upper neck back into proper alignment and then this kind of tinnitus can go away.
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.
There is a lot of good information on UCS chiropractic on this page also.
That’s what I’d do first and see if your symptoms go away. If so, you know that was the problem. You may have to go back several times until your ligaments and muscles get used to being in the correct place and “hold” their correct position.
Cordially,
Neil
Phil says
Wearing aids 4 past10 years just diagnosed with ear drums that are retracted, affecting my ability to hear except if I use
wireless microphone programmed to hearing aids? Going to ent for further testing hoping not permanent damage, I. Incus,males,orstapels! Age 86 has anyone experienced ear drums retracted if so would appreciate sharing experience of resolutions etc.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Phil:
Retracted ear drums are caused by negative air pressure in your middle ears. Typically this is the result of your Eustachian tubes not working properly. When you yawn or swallow, your Eustachian tubes should momentarily open to let more air be sucked in equalizing the air pressure.
If your Eustachian tubes do not momentarily open, or are clogged with gunk, you can end up with retracted ear drums. If they don’t open or work properly, this can be the result of your twp two vertebrae in your neck being out of proper alignment. The professional that can realign them properly is called an upper cervical chiropractor.
Cordially,
Neil
Al says
I’ve had to use hearing aids for the last 10 years due to high frequency loss from loud machinery. My tinnitus sounds like a high note, like a wind whistle and is really loud when I’m in a quiet place. A week ago I started hearing what you could only describe as continual cats meowing without the M. Now when I shake my head side to side its like a phone ringing. I thought I was going nuts until I came across this site. THANK YOU. I’m not psychotic just a breakdown of the ear.
KT says
I have had hearing loss and nodding chimes in my right ear which began about 5 or more years ago (I’m in my mid to late 30’s). I got a MRI and they found an arachnoid cyst at the right cerebellopontine angle measuring 1.2 x 1.8 . 1.4 cm.
This is a cyst that is up next to my inner ear on the right hand side, which corresponds to the ear with the hearing loss and the nodding chimes. (If I nod or shake my head vigorously I hear a ‘ting’ sound in my right ear, I don’t have any other tinnitus).
I also have had panic attacks which may or may not be associated with this. Though I do know when I get them I do feel a little ‘unreal’ or ‘off balance’ which makes me think that it may be slightly related. I also had one or two brief periods of vertigo which lasted about a week which is what caused me to see an ENT on it.
Next step for me is to meet with a neurologist to determine treatment options. If I get surgery I will update.
Kt says
Update: it turns out my hearing loss had nothing to do with the cyst. Ive been diagnosed with otosclerosis in the same ear I hear the nodding chimes in. It can be diagnosed with a tuning fork test and hearing test. Apparently my ear nerves in the cochlea are not damaged but just the outer part can’t conduct due to my stapes is not vibrating due to the otosclerosis. I also have blue grey eyes that are common with this disease. Treatment for me can be hearing aids or stapes replacement surgery. I’m going to wait and see if it gets worse and then likely will get a hearing aid.
Nancy Gavin says
I just started a new hairstyle which involves bending over and shaking my head before standing up and curling it with my hands. Every time I bend over to shake my head I hear sounds much like was described above as moving the wand. I’m thinking it’s OK to do nothing or should I see a doctor about it?
I also get very dizzy and feel like I’m going to black out when I bend over to put my golf tee in the ground especially in hot weather.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Nancy:
If all you have is nodding chime tinnitus, probably you don’t have to see a doctor about it if it doesn’t worry you.
Since you apparently can bend over and shake your head when doing your hair, and you do not get dizzy and feel like you’re going to black out, and yet doing the same thing on the golf course in hot weather causes you to feel that way, I think it is the heat that is giving you orthostatic dizziness. This just means that when you straighten up quickly after bending over, the blood doesn’t get up to your head as fast as it should and so you feel like you’re going to black out. This could also be the result if your blood pressure is low.
Cordially,
Neil
William Adams says
When I shake my head quickly, side to side or up and down, I hear a chime. Always the same frequency. I am 72. From age 60 to 63 I had wicked tinnitus that sounded like a burst water pipe or a huge pump.
Dee Astill says
I feel better for reading the comments. I am 73 and hear bell chimes in my head or ears if shake my head. It’s like I have hollow areas in my head. I also have migraines and no more than five hours sleep a night.
Robert says
I’ve have this so-called nodding chime tinnitus in the left ear for almost 3 years, accompanied by high frequency hearing loss. I went to an upper cervical chiropractor for almost 20 weeks, starting last August. No improvement. Just recently saw a third ENT at Stanford for another complete workup–audiograms, CT scans, and even a shot of steroid into the middle ear. Again, no improvement. He did prescribe a hearing aid. I might go back to the chiropractor, since none of the other helped, and I don’t want to mess with a hearing aid unless I have to.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Robert:
Since the upper cervical chiropractor hasn’t helped, I think you need to try something else, or just put up with your chimes. Sometimes the problem is related to muscles in your face/head/neck being tight and/or the two top vertebrae in your neck being out of proper alignment.
Other times, it apparently is related to “lesions” in your brain. Not much you can do about that. But you might want to go to a good massage therapist and see whether your head/face/neck muscles are tight. If they are, when they relax properly, does your nodding chime tinnitus go away?
Cordially,
Neil
Robert says
Thanks for your input, Dr. Bauman. I haven’t tried massage or physical therapy for my condition. I’m continuing to go an upper cervical chiropractor, who says every time I see him that my neck is “out.” Isn’t there someone out there who has reported improvement for this condition? There’s definitely a fluid issue involved, in my opinion. High frequencies are squelched and distorted, and there are random clicking noises.
Mary says
I too have what I would describe as white noise or static in both ears. I am 71 and can’t remember not hearing it constantly but softly. Recently (last 5-10 years) I noticed the chimes when I shake head “no”. This year I was told I have significant hearing loss and got hearing aids. Still have chimes and white noise. I never worried about any of it because there was no pain and I thought I could still hear. I did find it significant that someone else mentioned allergy type symptoms. I too noticed I have recently developed allergy symptoms which seem to be getting worse even with medications.
Wendy Collins says
I don’t have constant sounds in either of my ears but, once in a while for many years I experience a high pitched ping that strikes four or five times, then stops. It’s tone is the same with each of the pings. With the sound there is an uncomfortable, slight pain and pressure. I guess it is similar to the chimes people are describing. I don’t have to shake or nod my head to hear these pings. I’m not worried but just thought I was odd. Like “bang bang Maxwell’s silver hammer came down on my head” !! In the song.
Robin says
I found a cure through Dr. Chester Griffiths in Santa Monica… After going to three other ENTs over a two month period for sudden hearing loss and a ringing in my
head the cure came from a prescription of Triamterene-HCTZ after a week the ringing was gone and the fullness in my ear disappeared…
Prior to this treatment 4 weeks after the hearing loss I had 4 injections of steroid directly into my ear…
Dr Chester Griffiths is an Anazing doctor…
Robert says
Hi Robin, since you’re the only case on this blog that says you were cured with a drug and offered a specific doctor referral, I would like more info. Did you have the nodding chime symptoms, as well as high frequency hearing loss?
Jacky says
Hi …i am sorry to butt in but I’m really hoping someone can help. I been reading some replies but there are so many I got lost in all the answers !
Ok so firstly I am 38 and do have fibromylagia very severely and have had for 14 years . This comes with misophonia and hyperaucusis during flares. i also have or had an arrhythmia avg 40 bpm and serioiusly low bp issue Bradycardia into tachy quite suddenly last October which put me in hospital for a week with no answers and in still waiting for my cardiac follow up. At the time this head noise issue was also ongoing and had been for quite some time but when I mentioned my concerns I was ignored and told it wasn’t part of the current issue. They did do a head ct scan at the time though I’m not sure why. In Ireland they tell us nothing.
So now 10mths on this issue has arisen again .
The problem is that when I stand up to walk or if I’m in bed and move my head a certain way I will get a very overpowering sensation in my head .. it is like the sound of crystals in a bag being shook in time to my pulse. It is in my head though and not my ears. In my ears I do get pulsatile tinnitus and or tonic tensor timpani (I can voluntarily control it too sometimes) Anyway , this sound in my head – it feels like it’s fuzzing my head while it happens. It’s so hard to describe. It’s quite overwhelming and disturbing and makes me feel unsteady though not dizzy. Ive never fainted from it or anything.. it is quite strong at the moment. If I turn my head to the side or get up and walk it starts chintzing away..chintz chintz chintz at a high pitch. Might feeling it induces makes my whole body uncomfortable. No one can tell me what it is
I asked to be referred to an ENT three years ago and I’m still waiting. Their list is just so long .
Can anyone help..or help me explain it better even?
Please?
No one in this country gets any proper health care from doctors as they just aren’t trained properly and I cannot afford private fees
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Jacky:
You say that you get the “chintz, chintz” sound in time with your pulse. If this is so, then you have a version of pulsatile tinnitus. This is not related to nodding-chime tinnitus. Pulsatile tinnitus is typically related to a vascular problem–often turbulent blood flow in a blood vessel close to your ears. It could be related to high blood pressure (but not likely in your case since you have low blood pressure), or partially clogged arteries (which makes the blood flow faster and become more turbulent), or even new blood vessels or a glomus tumor (a mass of blood vessels) close to your ear.
Between your cardiologist and your ENT, they should be able to figure out where it is occurring and what they can do about it.
I hope they get to the root of it.
Cordially,
Neil
Jacky says
Thank you for your reply Dr Neil,
I am grateful that you have given me some information that can point me in the right direction.as of now I still have had no ENT appointment set burns cardiologist apt is upcoming . I will speak to my GP and see can he get anything sped up for me because quite frankly, I’ve been going out of my mind (excuse pun!) recently with it .
In the last fortnight the feeling has been non stop and very disturbing to the point I am afraid to get up and move about too much as it overwhelms my senses
Kind regards
Jacky
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Jacky:
I wish I had better insight into what is going on with your ears. Everything you have said points to a vascular problem in your head/neck.
The only other thing I can think of at this point is that your upper cervical spine (specifically your top two vertebrae) are not in proper alignment and thus are interfering with your vestibulocochlear nerve (that controls hearing and balance). If this nerve is “pinched” you can have all sorts of problems with your ears and balance.
I’d go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor to have this checked out but as far as I know, there are none in Ireland. Your closest would be in London. Maybe a knowledgeable conventional chiropractor could help you.
Is your neck “tight” or your facial muscles or jaw? That could be one clue. Another one is when you turn your head all the way right or left your tinnitus gets momentarily louder.
Cordially,
Neil
Robert says
Has anybody experiencing “nodding chime tinnitus” found a cure yet? I’m continuing to see an upper cervical chiropractor, but no improvement still. Any word on whether there’s a inner ear crystals connection?
Scott Rogers says
Wow, what a fantastic site, I too thought it was time to call the men in white coats. I am so pleased that other people have similar issues. By reading the comments on here it has made me feel not quite so upset. I thought I could share my experiences just in case it helps someone else?
I am a 48 year old male, who has been diagnosed with the beginning of high frequency hearing loss, not sure if just old age, or too much rock and roll as a younger man. So I went to the local hearing specialist and had a hearing test which confirmed that I was losing the top end frequencies. This confirmed my thoughts as I have been having difficulty hearing pronunciation at the beginning of words in conversation. The thing that I didn’t initially realise was that this hearing ability had been replaced by a low pitched hiss, much like a leaking airline you might find in a tyre shop or steam train just sat at a station. No real issue, it doesn’t bother me and I am still able to hear and converse normally as long as I watch what people are saying. I inadvertently have taught myself to lip read. All ok, all manageable.
This evening I was doing some DIY in the house specifically pulling down a ceiling in a downstairs cloakroom. An enclosed space with a metal hammer hitting a crowbar to prise the wood apart.
After about 15 minutes of this I noticed my hearing had suddenly got a lot worse, muffled like someone had put their hands over my ears and I had the joys of the ringing bells! Left to right shaking of my head would sound exactly like sleigh bells ringing, if I put my finger in each of my ears and gave it a wiggle up and down with my finger, I could induce the ringing sound in each ear the left ear being a higher note than the right ear individually, and nodding yes caused a different noise much like someone holding a metal xylophone bar and then bashing it with a dull bit of wood. A sort of dull metallic clunk. The complete opposite to the crystal clear, almost magical sleigh bells that I would get side to side.
Being curious, I also found I could make the bells ring by forcing myself to burp. Fantastic!
Holding my nose and blowing to equalise the pressure in my ears doesn’t make any difference at all.
So obviously the loud bashing of metal things has upset my ears in a way that I know I won’t be doing again without ear defenders on.
Just in the time it has taken me to type this I can feel and hear it starting to return back to normal.
I am not medically trained at all, but I can tell that it is affected by pressure, burping on demand must be causing something to happen in my head/ear canal.
So next time I do some DIY I shall use ear plugs or some kind of other ear defender and hopefully not aggravate it any more than I have to.
Interesting to read the comments about crystals and chiropractors, I thought I was just stuck with steam trains in my head. But now I shall look into it a bit further.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Scott:
When you hit metal on metal in an enclosed space without ear protectors you are causing noise trauma to your ears. Typically you notice your hearing is muffled which is called a temporary threshold shift. This means you have a temporary hearing loss. It usually goes away in a few hours and your ears seem to recover. You commonly also have tinnitus–a ringing or hissing (among many other sounds) in your ears. This too is typically temporary if it is the first time you suffer noise trauma, but the more you do it, the longer it takes to go away until in never goes away.
I’ve not heard of nodding chime tinnitus as a result–but it may be related to the fact that you had your head bent up at the same time. Hopefully, it will also go away in a few hours/days.
In the future, remember to wear ear protectors when doing noisy work. Your ears will thank you for it.
Cordially,
Neil
Jeannine says
I am a 54 yr old female who has had tinnitus for at least 10 years. My ears chime only when I shake my head side to side. Not up and down. I began taking thyroid medication in March this year. I have had regular adjustments by a chiropractor for the past 20 years.
Oh, and, the chiming is very recent. So it’s encouraging to find that others have this experience!
Thank you for this forum Dr. Bauman!
Merilyn says
Hello. My grandson is 9 years old and has a syndrome named Fanconi Anaenia, He has 1 patent ear (left side) and wears a hearing aide on this ear. The right ear doesnt have a canal. He awoke at 4.30am yesterday crying saying he had a really loud “ding dong” sound in his good ear, and its still there 48 hours later, which is really upsetting him. He had an audiogram approx 2 weeks ago,. his GP today said he has a buildup of wax and prescribed ear drops to help dissolve this. Dont know what to do to help….
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Merilyn:
How is your grandson’s ear now? Has the ding dong sound gone away?
Cordially,
Neil
Merilyn says
Hi Neil. He still complains of this ding dong but not as much, and it is not distressing him as it was. We visited a local ENT surgeon and he performed a myringotomy to relieve any pressure behind his eardrum.
but alas the sound is still present. We have been playing gentle music to help him go to sleep at night which seems to help. Will try the wait and see approach now. Any ideas gratefully received
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Merilyn:
I’d just give it time and let the ding-dong fade away since it is already beginning to do so.
I wouldn’t have expected the myringotomy to make any difference.
Just continue to play soft music as needed since that is working. It’s a good, natural solution.
Cordially,
Neil
Stephanie C says
My tinnitus symptoms started about two months ago accompanied by symptoms of TMD, but the TMD has not continued beyond the initial 2-3 weeks. It started as a vibrating in my left ear, I describe it as the vibration made when you flick a door stopper that springs back and forth. It would last 8-10 seconds and reoccur every 30 minutes to 2 hours. I have had no symptoms in my right ear, but have suffered significant hearing loss in this ear since childhood from a hole in my eardrum created by drainage tubes that did not come out at the proper time. The tinnitus has now progressed to a chime sound when I move my head in certain ways. It is a singular chime with very little volume. From my research (and in my opinion, reinforced by the accompanying TMD symptoms) tinnitus is the response or symptom of something else occurring in the body. I believe for my personal situation, this may be inflammation or tension. I am attempting to treat both of these possibilities in a holistic manner since seeing a ENT who advised there is nothing that can be done medically but did recommend seeking relief by other means if able. My primary concern is hearing loss as I already have significant hearing loss in the other ear. I hope that this description contributes some sort of additional information to your discussion.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Stephanie:
I think the vibrating you feel is your tensor tympani muscle in your middle ear going into spasm. This can happen in conjunction with TMD. Read the addendum to my article on the subject at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/do-i-have-tonic-tensor-tympani-syndrome-ttts/ . This is what you have.
I suggest you go to an upper cervical chiropractor and have him check your C1 and C2 vertebrae to be sure they are in proper alignment. That may be all it takes to fix your problems. You can find upper cervical chiropractors at http://www.upcspine.com/ .
Cordially,
Neil
Samantha T says
I work at an assisted living home with oxygen machines in a few rooms. When I go in those rooms, I hear a faint door bell sound over and over and over and the same when I take a shower and the water is running. What does this mean!! It’s driving me nuts!
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Samantha:
It means you are human. I think what you are experiencing is Audio Pareidolia. Read my article on the subject at http://hearinglosshelp.com/blog/apophenia-audio-pareidolia-and-musical-ear-syndrome/ . Basically what is happening is that you are hearing constant background sounds from the oxygen machines (and shower) and your brain is pattern matching to the closest pattern to that sound you have stored away in your brain–then it forces those sounds to sound like the sound pattern it chooses as the closest match–even though the match is WAY OFF.
Cordially,
Neil
Jen Hinchliffe says
I have had tinnitus for 25 years, 24/7. I have learned to cope with it but I am becoming more and more deaf and I don’t know if one causes the other. Now I have noticed when I shake my head I get a note, chime I guess, the same note (fa) in the do re mi line. And a few years ago I tried a masking hearing aid (expensive!) and that introduced a hum so I stopped wearing it. My main tinnitus sound is similar to the sound of a shower…the only time I’m free of it!
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Jen:
Tinnitus does not cause hearing loss, but tinnitus often accompanies hearing loss–so as your hearing gets worse, you could also expect your tinnitus to get louder–unless you are habituated to your tinnitus. Then you may not really notice any difference.
Your chiming tinnitus is probably not related to your other tinnitus you’ve had for so many years. You can have two or more kinds of tinnitus at the same time–from two or more different causes.
What you experience in the shower is matching your tinnitus to a real sound. This can sometimes result in residual inhibition where for a bit afterwards, you no longer hear your tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Jen Hinchliffe says
thank you so much Neil. It is good to get this information. At least straight after a shower I get some respite! perhaps I should take a few a day!!
So do you think a normal hearing aid will be best for me? not one that introduces a masking noise? I’m driving my family mad not hearing them clearly all the time. Kind regards Jen
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Jen:
Since you know a shower sound both masks the tinnitus and causes residual inhibition for a few minutes, it would seem to me that a hearing aid with a tinnitus masker that could produce such a sound would be a good solution. That way you could hear better and your tinnitus would not bother you much if at all. You should see if an audiologist could do this with some brand of hearing aids.
Cordially,
Neil
JERRY AGOSTISI says
I have a ringing/chriping sound in my right ear. Started 2 days after a loud symbol sound hit my ear. I was bending down to fix grandsons drum set when he slammed the symbol right by my right ear. Every time
a sound, wind , certain sounds i get the chriping in right ear. Not blown ear drum. Been to ENT, Neuro-Ophthalmology and have had extensive testing and MRI. All normal. There is no reason and no cure. Not sure what to do next.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Jerry:
Your ear suffered acoustic shock. The hallmarks of it are a sudden, unexpected, loud sound close to your ear–and you fit all three of them. So your doctors are wrong–there was a reason, and they are doubly wrong, because there are things you can do to get it under control. Unfortunately, few doctors know much/anything about acoustic shock syndrome and thus how to effectively deal with it.
What you need to do first is protect your ears from louder sounds until your ears have had time to heal. This can take a few months. But don’t overprotect them from normal level sounds or you can make things worse. Then you can treat any other symptoms. At present, it seems you have a form of tinnitus (chirping sound). If you ignore it, it should fade away in time.
How long ago did this happen?
Cordially,
Neil
jerry agostisi says
Hi Neil, This happened July 1, the ringing started July 3. I also have vestubular migraines. I had a vertigo episode February 26. The symbol strike on July 1 was bad timing, Thanks
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Jerry:
Ok. That makes sense. How long have you had your vestibular migraines? Any ideas what caused them? And what caused your vertigo episode in February? Were you on any drugs at the time?
Cordially,
Neil
Linda M says
I, too, just in the last week started experiencing hearing chime-like sounds in my head when nodding up/down or shaking my head left/right. Although the sounds are very faint, they are different (nodding produces a faint dink, dink, dink sound; while the side/side motion produces a sound more like a faint chime).
Arthur says
Hello Neil.
I have the tinkling bell sound in both ears. The left ear when I shake my head and the right ear when I hiccup.
I have been suffering tinnitus in both ears for 10 or more years and over time have learned to live with it. As it is a white noise it’s easier to accept/tolerate. I have been using hearing aids for about 6 years and help a little with my hearing loss but do nothing for the tinnitus. My hearing loss was caused by unprotected industrial noises in my working life.
I’m 73 yo, I have never taken any regular meds. and am on nothing currently. No BP is below normal for my age and I have my bloods checked every 12 months and everything is well within the “normal” .
The bell sounds started about 5 weeks ago and were caused by a tyre exploding close to my left ear. It also caused a deteriation in my hearing ability. I have had the hearing aids adjusted but without much improvement
Pattie says
I recently started experiencing a faint chime sound in my right ear too. I noticed it while moving my head left to right to remove wind blown hair away. I also had an issue with my left eye, possibly a stye in August that I took antibiotics for. Although the inflammation subsided, the redness and an itchy sensation hasn’t. Additionally, they gave me an antibiotic for my face two weeks after I took the antibiotic for my eye due to an acne/dermatological reaction? God knows… I did read about styes, staff, yeast, allergies and the red scalelike bumpy rash started around my mouth too. What I did find was swimming in salt water greatly reduced my overall symptoms and I try to eat a lot of green foods.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Pattie:
Do you think the ear chime sound is a side effect of taking the eye drops or the subsequent antibiotics? I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the case.
Sorry, I can’t help you with the rash, etc. as my expertise is in helping people with their ears.
Cordially,
Neil
Scarlett says
I was in a car accident in November. Suffered whip lash. I’ve alway had mild ringing but now my ears feel sore swollen the ringing is really loud! And I also hear the chimes when I shake my head left to right! I feel like I’m on a plane constantly. My ears won’t pop feeling! Been to 3 doctors who all said my ears are clear and not to worry! But I am worried. I’m 29 and I’m worried I’m losing my hearing!
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Scarlett:
Whenever you suffer whiplash, there is a very good chance that you knocked your C1 and C2 vertebrae out of proper alignment. This can put pressure on the auditory and vestibular (balance) nerves and cause all sorts of ear problems. When doctors do their examinations/tests they don’t seem to be able to see this so assume everything is all ok.
However, the truth is, things aren’t ok, as you well know. If I were in your shoes I’d head for a special kind of chiropractor that specializes in helping people in your situation.
These special kind of chiropractors specialize in the upper cervical spine (UCS) issues. 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.
Once they have you in proper alignment, you should see most of the problems go away or be greatly reduced.
Cordially,
Neil
Patricia says
That faint ear chime sound escalated into constant high pitched tinnitus 24/7. This is morning, noon and night. It is quite unpleasant. Sometimes it isn’t as loud, but I’m very upset. I went to an ear specialist and he said that nothing is wrong with my hearing. That was back in March. The chiming changed to constant high pitched tinnitus after a flight home from Florida in late January. The rash actually finally went away. I added homemade ginger root tea (thumb size) (40 oz) to my diet, but my eye still is tender and prone to a stye. Any suggestions or tests that you can recommend?
This was in reference to Pattie/January 3,2020 @ 5:40 pm
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Patricia:
Now that you have constant tinnitus, since it is bothering you, you might want to go to a tinnitus clinic and go on one of the main tinnitus treatment programs such as Tinnitus Retraining Therapy or Neuromonics, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mindfulness, etc.
Or you can read up on all of these and other tinnitus treatments in my book, “Take Control of Your Tinnitus” and follow the principles I’ve laid down for treating tinnitus. You can get this book at https://hearinglosshelp.com/shop/take-control-of-your-tinnitus-heres-how/
You may especially want to read Chapter 16 on how to take control of your tinnitus yourself.
Cordially,
Neil
Arthur says
Thanks for your reply.
Yes, aside from the tinkling sounds are quite muffled in both ears but more so in my left ear…the side that copped most of the blast from the tyre exploding.
Cheers Arthur
Deborah Dietrich says
I’m amazed by the number of posts here! And also glad to find this site. My left ear plays A-Bb (in the range just above middle C) when I shake my head from side to side, but so far nothing when nodding. I started noticing it a few months ago when getting out of the shower, but I haven’t seen a doctor, yet, due to a bazillion other things on my plate. I’m a singer and music teacher, so I’m quite fearful of this type of shaking chime becoming full-time tinnitus. Is that likely? Also, am I damaging my ear or making the chime worse by shaking my head to test it?
I don’t recall what might have brought it on, except perhaps taking significantly more ibuprofen than normal due to finger surgery. ?
thank you for your kind regard for all of us!
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Deborah:
A lot of people do have nodding chime tinnitus, don’t they? Each person thinks they are alone in this, but it is obviously not true.
I don’t see any reason for this kind of tinnitus to become full-time. I can’t recall anyone ever saying it had happened to them, so I wouldn’t worry about that.
I don’t think you are making it worse by shaking your head. But if you keep testing to see if it is there, you may be setting yourself up for constant tinnitus because your limbic system will notice that you are constantly worrying about it. So I’d suggest you just forget about it and if you happen to hear it, treat it as no big deal.
Ibuprofen can certainly cause tinnitus–especially if you took higher doses, but I don’t recall anyone mentioning they correlated their chiming tinnitus to taking Ibuprofen.
Cordially,
Neil
Cynthia says
I had a whoosh sound in both ears for a few months that went along with my pulse. Now, it’s only in my left ear. (I’ve had this now for about 5-6 months. Pulsating Tinunitis?)
Sometimes the
whooshing is loud, sometimes soft, at times barely discernible.
My hearing test came back excellent.
Since I began taking Naprosin the noise has decreased. But now my BP is on the low end.
When I shake my head, as if to shake water out of it, it’s louder and the whoosh noise is in rhythm with each shake.
The ENT doctor said everything looks fine, hearing is good, so she wants to schedule an MRI.
The dentist said there’s no absess/infection.
If I had water in my ear, would it be obvious to the doctor?
I’d appreciate your thoughts on my symptoms, etc.
Thanks for your time
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Cynthia:
The whooshing sound in time with your pulse is pulsatile tinnitus. It’s good it isn’t steady at a loud level.
Anything that brings your BP down to a low level would likely get rid of the pulsatile tinnitus. So you don’t want to take too much Naproxen. You need to keep your BP in the right range.
I think what happens when you shake your head is that you “twist” a blood vessel in your neck and partially block it. The result is that you momentarily hear pulsatile tinnitus again.
Personally, I wouldn’t take the MRI as I don’t think it will reveal anything unusual. It’s up to you of course.
You don’t get “water” in your ear–you get “fluid” which is thick like mucous. I call it “gunk”. Sometimes doctors can see it though your eardrum. Other times I think they just think they see it. If your ears are not clogged, you shouldn’t have any “gunk” in them to see. If when you swallow your Eustachian tubes open and your ears pop if they need to, then all should be well.
Cordially,
Neil
Debra M N says
Hi. No accident or sudden hearing loss. In fact I just got back from an appointment with my ENT and Audiologist, my hearing has not changed since June 2019. 2 or 3 days ago I shook my head NO, and hear what I have described as the bell or horn on a young child’s bike. It is only if I shake my head NO, a slow turn does nothing nor does shaking it up and down. My ENT said and I quote, “I have no idea why you are hearing that”. No dizziness, no loss of balance, no ear wax, no anything except this funny noise with a head shake. He said it might be neurological or even vascular, or something else entirely. I have a baseline tinnitus that sounds like power lines just before a storm sort of a crackly hum; this is completely different. Not sure it is in my ears, as I cannot say right ear or left ear, so it is either bilateral or it’s in my head quite literally. It’s not painful just a little strange.
Mike Wolfman says
I have had tinnitus in my right ear for a month now and chimes when I shake my head. Had an MRI which ruled out Schwannoma. My mother and uncles have tinnitus. I surf but I don’t have water in ear. Hearing test showed mid frequency hearing loss which is I guess is not a common finding.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Mike:
What happened a month or more ago that might have brought on your tinnitus? Anything come to mind?
You are right that a cookie-bite loss is not the most common kind of loss. Any ideas about what caused this loss? Did you get this loss recently? If so, your tinnitus could be accompanying the hearing loss.
Cordially,
Neil
Mike Wolfman says
Hi Neil,
Sorry so long to reply. Diagnosed with MS or Susachs… Unusual since I was 58 at the time. It’s been a year now and on Ocrevus. Really no progression.
Margaret McCloud says
I have chimes in both ears when I shake my head from side to side, there’s also a chiming noise when I nod my head but I thought that may have been from my sinuses. This started after a RTA where I sustained whiplash & developed Occipital Neuralgia. Glad to know it’s not just me!
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Margaret:
How long ago was the whiplash incident? Any improvements in the nodding chime tinnitus during this time?
One thing you might want to do is go to an upper cervical spine chiropractor, not a conventional chiropractor, and makes sure your top few vertebrae are in proper alignment.
That could get rid of your neuralgia and maybe your chiming tinnitus.
Cordially,
Neil
Margaret McCloud says
Thanks for the reply! The whiplash happened in January this year. I was attending physio until C19 hit & theUK locked down. I’d had a retry severe whiplash in 1995 too so he was working on old scar tissue, I’d been considering Acupuncture – would that help at all?
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Margaret:
I think that you really need more chiropractic care when you can get it again. For conditions where your vertebrae are not in proper alignment, I don’t see that acupuncture is effective since it cannot realign your vertebrae which is the underlying condition.
Cordially,
Neil
Heidi BruMar says
I have had tinnitus in both ears sinc 1996 as a side effect of meningococcal meningitis. This year I started getting the nodding chimes when I shake my head, but only in the right ear. I have had no trauma that I am aware of.
Jeff Eckland says
I have had this in both ears for at least ten years now. Only when I shake my head left or right, not while nodding. I’ve always thought of it sounding like sleigh bells. Not sure if I would call it chimes. I quit telling people about it because they looked at me like I was nuts, even my ear doctor. I can’t really pinpoint any event that may have initially caused it, but I do use hearing aids in both ears now.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Jeff:
Think of the term “chimes” as generic for a musical sound–in this case, not literally chimes as opposed to bells for example. Both kinds of sounds are included in this condition.
Since people have no clue about nodding chime tinnitus, forgive them for thinking of you as “that ding-a-ling”. You have a valid condition, and you are not nuts, but your condition is relatively uncommon.
Cordially,
Neil
Pat Trewin says
I have just experienced my first shaking chimes, two different sounds; I don’t get them nodding, only shaking. I do have tinnitus, so figured it was related. Interesting to read that others have it too – so I’m ‘normal’. 🙂 I wonder if it will get worse/louder over time?
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Pat:
I’ve never heard of anyone complaining that they get louder/worse over time. Hopefully, yours won’t either.
Cordially,
Neil
Jean says
Hi-
Shook my wet head back and forth and heard what sounded like someone tooting their car horn a block away. Later the sound was much quieter. Now there is no sound at all. I know I have wax buildup but was relieved to find out it might be a form of tinnitus.
Andrew says
Hello
So my experience was odd today and my first time.
I was driving and suddenly heared these soothing chime sounds for a few minutes. I wasn’t moving my head and was concentrating on driving. I ask my dad if he could hear them but he had said no.
I have had the occasional tinnatus episode every month or so but usually I hear the classical high pitch tonal sound. This time I genuinely thought I heared something like wind chimes or bell like but more of a musical instrument noise rather than a tone.
I’m really not sure what to make of this experience and was wondering if it could be related to tinnitus? My apologies that this may not specifically relate to the topic.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Andrew:
You may have heard a kind of tinnitus, or you might have experienced audio pareidolia where your brain tried to pattern match the constant background sound (motor/road noise) and came up with a very poor match that sounds like music. Or you may have experienced Musical Ear Syndrome.
I’d have to know more about your experiences in order to narrow it down more.
Cordially,
Neil
Catherine S says
I began hearing muffled chime sounds in both ears when I shake my head just a few days ago. At least I know now I’m not losing my mind. The strange part is that the tone is different when I nod my head up and down.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Catherine:
I don’t think it so strange–since moving your head different ways involves different muscles–so generates different signals that your brain is interpreting as different sounds.
Cordially,
Neil
Marlee says
Hi Neil,
In about 2006/ 2007 I had my first “dizzy” spell before grade 9 exams, causing me to collapse and faint into lockers. Since then, every once and a while I have these spells such as sitting on my moms bed opening my mail and I screamed feeling like the mattress was being thrown out from underneath me, I could not see straight, and another specific event was at a convenience store, after I had paid I turned around to walk out. I remember it was Easter and I could not see straight nor walk straight and was staggering as if I had drank a 24 of beer, almost falling into a display of Easter chocolates. I made it to my car, laid down with the seat back until it was gone. It came back shortly again on my way home where my vision and perception was severely distorted, almost as if I had no control of my vision nor body. To this day, I can tell when I am starting to feel this way by feeling the dizziness and I lay flat on the floor until it passes. Sometimes it takes a while, other times I have no warning signs and it hits me out of the blue with the full on effect as I stated above. It is worth mentioning that I have not passed out except for that first time. I would say this has happens a few times a year. I had visited an ENT specialist about 5 years ago and there was no conclusion, after multiple visits and tests done. With this still ongoing, the last two weeks I have been hearing a quick “twing” noise in my right ear. I could describe it as very short, and it sound as if you have two fingers on one guitar string about an inch apart, and you try to flick that string in between your fingers. I am not sure how else to describe it. It can happen at any time, with no specific movements, and about a dozen times a day. I have never been in an accident or experienced any head trauma minus being a child with a minor concussion, but I do suffer from scoliosis in my back and neck. If you have any suggestions, or words of wisdom that would be greatly appreciated as I have tried to look into this many times. It has not been confirmed with vertigo as it was inconclusive, but I could also maybe suspect POTS, and unsure about tinnitus.
Thank you in advance,
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Marlee:
Since your doctors haven’t been able to help you and they have looked at all the likely conditions, it’s time to look outside the box. My choice is that it is likely caused by pinched nerves in your upper neck.If I weer in your shoes, I’d take myself to a special kind of chiropractor called as upper cervical chiropractor and see how much you are out of proper alignment. Since you have scoliosis, it’s a sure bet you are out somewhere.
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.
Once you are in proper alignment, see what symptoms, if any, are still remaining and we can then work on those. Note you may have to have a number of chiropractic sessions until your adjustments “hold” as it is easy for them to initially keep slipping out of proper alignment.
Cordially,
Neil
Marlee says
Hi Neil,
Thank you so much your your recommendation. I have been seeing chiropractors for years, but will certainly look into this one!
Many thanks,
Emily says
My name is Emily, so last night I fell asleep in my car for 4 hours well when I woke up in my car I had this extremely loud sound inside of my head and I believe it was tinnitus, but I don’t know what caused it?? Idk if it was from me falling asleep the way I did but it made me super dizzy and I couldn’t hear anything and it was just so traumatic just at the fact of how loud it was I thought I was gonna have to go to the hospital, do you think maybe it has to do with sinus issues too?
I felt it for about 6 hours
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Emily:
Did you have your radio on in the car and the volume up rather high when you fell asleep? If so, that could explain your tinnitus.
Another possibility is that your head fell over and pinched some nerves in your neck, resulting in your tinnitus, dizziness and hearing loss.
The above are my two most likely scenarios based on the little information you gave me. Why would you think it was related to sinus issues?
Cordially,
Neil
Mark says
Dr. Bauman,
I am a 68 y/o male. I have had nodding chime tinnitus for about 6 or 7 years. I first noticed it when I was playing with my dog, mimicking how he would shake his head with the toy in his mouth. I was startled when I first heard the chiming tones, never having noticed them before that. Nodding up and down makes a one-note sound that seems “left of center”. Shaking my head head from side to side produces two notes; the higher tone when I move my head to the left, and the lower when I move it to the right. These seem to be more on the right side of my hearing, especially the higher note.
I also have hearing loss related tinnitus which is a constant high hiss. That started a few years after my first nodding chime tinnitus event.
Once I found the name for this online (possibly from this website), I created a Nodding Chime Tinnitus group on Facebook, in hope that others would join and share their experiences. I only had a few people join the group years ago, but I recently heard from a woman who experiences NCT like mine. In messaging back and forth, we discovered that we also both experience ocular migraines, which I found interesting. After our brief “discussion”, I searched and found the blogs in this website and read some of the comments. I have not read them all yet, but I’m glad there are more people out there experiencing these symptoms, if it is correct to call them that.
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Mark:
Interesting that you mention ocular migraines. Some kinds of tinnitus seem to be associated with migraines–not that one causes the other, but that both seem to be caused by the same underlying condition. In other words, both migraines and tinnitus can be caused by “x”.
Anyone else reading this have ocular or other migraines and have nodding chime tinnitus? Let us know.
Cordially,
Neil
Michael says
Hi Neil,
This thread has been quite helpful. 4 Months ago I hit my head quite hard but don’t believe I had a concussion but it may have affected my neck.
Now I have tinnitus that I can mostly manage and have larger diminished by losing my jaw over time and neck stretches and reducing stress.
With that said, there’s still a chime that is present in my right ear (same side as when I hit my head) when there is silence and no tinnitus.
Do you think a UpC could help for this?
When I run my symptoms get worse which leads me to believe this is a neck related issue. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Michael:
This chiming sound you hear when it is quiet, are you moving your head at the same time, or are you still? Nodding chime tinnitus only occurs when you are moving your head.
It’s never a bad idea to have your spine checked out when you suspect problems with your neck. When you run, your feet are “pounding the pavement” and jarring your neck–making your symptoms worse. So, if I were you, I’d definitely seek out an upper cervical chiropractor and see what he finds.
Cordially,
Neil
Tammy says
I also have what sounds like sleigh bells when I shake my head. About a month ago, or more, I started hearing what sounds like amplifier feedback ALL THE TIME! After a virus ( tested negative for covid) my migraine headaches started again after a couple of years, my type 2 trigeminal neuralgia is not responding to treatment to the point I am seeing a neurosurgeon, my heart arrythmias are not responding to my medication as well, and I have chronic diarrhea (usually have to take fiber pills due to constipation). When I bend forward it feels like someone is pulling the rug out from under me from behind. I have autoimmune diseases, but these symptoms are ones I have never had before. I had my neck x-rayed and it is not the problem. I cannot see a chiropractor due to RA and spinal stenosis as advised by my rheumatologist.
I am losing sleep due to the buzzing and migraines. If I do not have a headache classical music helps to drown the sound out. I am at a loss of what to try and which doctor can help me with the tinnitus and vertigo, if that is considered vertigo since it is not spinning. Any advice is much appreciated. Thank you!
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Tammy:
Any ideas what caused your nodding-chime tinnitus to start?
At least it is better sounding that the amplifier feedback sound. That would be really annoying.
When I hear people having trigeminal neuralgia, I immediately suspect that certain vertebrae in their necks are out of proper alignment. The same can be true for migraines.
When you feel that the rug was yanked out from behind you, I’d say that is a form of vertigo. Some people describe it as a feeling of being pushed forward from behind. Vertigo is typically a spinning sensation, but it can be a back and forth feeling too–like being in a rocking chair, and less often that “pushed forward” feeling.
Having your neck x-rayed conventionally may not show up the real problems you are having. Personally, I’d go to an upper-cervical chiropractor that is specially trained in taking and reading precision x-rays of certain vertebrae in your neck. Just having a vertebra between 1 and 3 degrees out of proper alignment (almost imperceptible if you are not trained to look for it) can result in vertigo for example.
So I’d go to one of these upper cervical chiropractors for a diagnosis of whether your C1 ;nd 2 vertebrae are misaligned at all. That could be causing much of your problems.
I wouldn’t take chiropractic advice from a rheumatologist. What does he really know about the very specialized field of upper cervical chiropractic? He’s probably never even heard of them.
Now I’m not saying to allow such chiropractors to make any adjustments at this point–just take the precision x-rays and explain their results to you. THEN you can discuss with him whether he can help you, etc. and finally make up your own mind whether you want to proceed or not.
I’d suggest finding a upper cervical spine chiropractor that uses the Blair method if you choose to go ahead as they are very gentle.
You can find an upper cervical chiropractor near you if you go to http://www.upcspine.com/ and click on “Practitioners”, then on your state and then look for ones that practice the Blair technique. Other techniques may be just as good, but the Blair method is particularly gentle.
I don’t know where you are located, but the world expert on this is Dr. Michael Burcon in Grand Rapids, MI. He is also an expert in correctly adjusting your spine for relieving trigeminal neuralgia. (You’ll find him in the list for Michigan.
Since you are having problems sleeping due to your tinnitus (and migraines) you might want to have some sound on in your bedroom to partially mask your tinnitus. Background sounds reduce the contrast between your tinnitus and silence, so make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep. Water sounds are particularly good–recordings of waterfalls, babbling brooks, waves on the beach, rainfall. You can download such sounds from the internet.
Cordially,
Neil
Sally says
Hi, I am a young 68-year-old. About a year ago I had a very bad cold and my ears begin to have a swishing sound. It would come and go. Six months ago I had another cold and the swishing got stronger. I went to an audiologist, my hearing test was good, a little lower in the left ear which is my problem ear. About three years ago I did fall and bang my head twice on ice. I had a CAT scan done and there were no signs of concussion or anything. About a month ago I had lightning flashes in my left peripheral I shook my head back-and-forth to try to stop it. I did have it checked for detached retina and everything is good there but since then when I shakeMy head I get the chime sound. Once in a great while when I’m not doing anything particular I get some kind of a sound for a second or so like shaking a large piece of aluminum. I thought there really was something major wrong until I started reading the things the people were posting and what you were saying. Any suggestions or things you think I should do?
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Sally:
Since nodding-chime tinnitus only occurs when you are nodding or shaking your head, that indicates it is a kind of somatosensory (body) tinnitus. This means that typically, it occurs as a result of one of the somatosensory nerves in your head/neck/shoulders becoming hyperactive when this happens.
Thus, theoretically, calming down whichever nerve is hyperactivated should get rid of it. Thus, seeing a physical therapist or massage therapist to reduce any trigger points, tight muscles or fascia, or seeing an upper cervical spine chiropractor to make sure your top neck vertebrae are in proper alignment would be the logical thing to do.
For example, falling on the ice and banging your head could have knocked certain vertebrae out of proper alignment, thus pinching one of the somatosensory nerves, thus making them hyperactive could have been the problem.
You can find these special upper cervical chiropractors by going to http://www.upcspine.com/ and clicking on “Practitioners” to find one near you.
That would be a good place to start if you are interested.
Cordially,
Neil
Kevin Hofkamp says
I am a 58 year old male and when I nod my head (yes) I hear a bell that sounds like a hammer hitting a anvil in the distance. I had a bad case of vertigo in March of 2021 and another in June of the same year and ever since the first episode have heard the bell when I nod my head. My doctor suggested a CT scan but really don’t want to do that. I am going to a chiropractor because my neck and shoulders have been bothering me for a while he might think they might be involved. Any suggestions on what else to do?
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Kevin:
Did you have any other symptoms besides the vertigo in March and June? Did you have any vertigo episodes since?
Going to an upper cervical chiropractor would be ideal. Once you have your neck/shoulders/etc in proper alignment, then see whether you still have the nodding chime tinnitus (or any more vertigo episodes). I’d do this first, and based on this, then consider any further steps.
Cordially,
Neil
Dave says
I am 61 and have had hearing loss for over 15 years, I have had nodding chime for around 10 years in my left ear only which also has the worst hearing loss.
Erin says
Just came here to say my ears do the same thing when I shake my head from side to side – I don’t know what note it is but it’s very pleasant. They’ve done it for years with no known significant health issues otherwise.
Margaret Leclerc says
I hear a two note chime when I shake my head from side to side. When I nod I get a higher note single chime.
John says
Neil, necks straight tones are still there.
James C says
Hello everyone.
I have read through all your comments and excellent advice from Dr Baumann.
I also have symptoms of nodding chime tinnitus in my right ear and I have had so many operations because doctors and I assumed it was pulsatile because my tinnitus is not constant. However my tinnitus chime always goes in tune to nodding, shaking of my head.
My questions are:
When I run and I have earphones in, I can hear my tinnitus chimes in tune to my steps. Is this also a symptom of this? My chimes also rattle when I go over tram lines/pot holes. Even when I blink my middle ear muscles reacst and cause the chime to ring.
Could excessive shaking the head/moving also cause the chimes(nerves) too overreact and cause bad sleep and night sweats?
My tinnitus started when I did too many push ups at once. Since then my tinnitus has been like this (7 years). I think it was caused by bad posture.
Best wishes
James (from Zürich)
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi James:
Pulsatile tinnitus is ALWAYS in unison with your heartbeat. Just because tinnitus is intermittent, doesn’t make it pulsatile tinnitus. Your doctors should have know that.
Somatosensory tinnitus tends to be more intermittent than neurophysiologic tinnitus. Nodding chime tinnitus is a type of somatosensory tinnitus. That is why it is commonly associated with movement of muscles in your head neck and shoulders due to the messages sent through the nerves controlling those parts of your body.
When you run, I think it is the jarring of your spine as your feet hit the ground that generates the nerve impulses in your cervical area that your brain is decoding as chiming sounds.
When you blink your eyes and hear tinnitus sounds, it shows that you have some degree of cross-modal connections in your brain so that signals to blink your eyes also get sent to the auditory parts of your brain where they are interpreted as a tinnitus sound–in your case, a chiming sound.
I don’t think shaking your head is associated with bad sleep and night sweats, but that is outside my areas of expertise. It’s possible that the same underlying condition could affect both areas, but I don’t see a connection at this point.
Since your tinnitus began after doing too many push-ups, my thinking is that you somehow put your cervical spine out of proper alignment, pinching some nerves and thus your somatosensory tinnitus.
As I’ve said elsewhere in this thread, the solution would be to see an upper cervical chiropractor and have him put your vertebrae into proper alignment. Unfortunately, upper cervical chiropractors are very rare in Europe. See http://www.upcspine.com/ and click on practitioners.
Cordially,
Neil
Rahema says
Hello,
Just today, I started hearing chimes in my right ear when shaking my head “no”. I have had on again off again issues with my neck on the right side, as well from my right elbow and up. I had physical therapy which helped temporarily. I also have semi-fainting spells every once in a while if I get up too fast. I say semi because I’m aware I’m falling but can’t control my body when it happens and just lay there tingling all over until it passes (no more than 30 seconds). MD tried to tell me my nerve issue in my neck is minor but doesn’t seem minor to me. 😶
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Rahema:
If I had those same symptoms, I know what I’d do. I’d go to an upper cervical chiropractor and get my cervical vertebrae put back into proper alignment. Once I’d done that, then I’d see what, if any, symptoms are still there and treat them, but the first step is the upper cervical chiropractor.
There are only a few of these guys in the UK, but here’s how to find them. Go to http://www.upcspine.com/ and then hover over practitioners and from the drop down menu choose Europe, then choose United Kingdom.
Going to one of these guys may be all that is needed. Be aware that you may need to go a number of times as the adjustments may not hold their proper position for long as they are used to being in the wrong position and need time to readjust to their proper alignments.
Cordially,
Neil
Darren DV says
Hello everyone – seeking some help and advice. Two weeks ago I banged heads with my son (he is fine!). However, I immediately had muffled ears and ringing in my ears when I move my neck, walk, chew and run/workout. It is like a “chirp” when I move my neck or if I even touch it lightly (similar to other posts just taking a step or hitting a pot hole makes it “chirp.”). I’ve seen ENT who did CT scan and did not see any problems. Steroids for 2 weeks did not improve the situation. When I work out it turns into a more “pulsatile” tinnitus. mRAs are scheduled.
I see recommendations for the specific chiropractor – has that helped anyone that has this? Appreciate the thinking and advice as it’s driving me crazy that it happens even when I walk!
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Darren:
I think you will find that when you bumped heads, some of your cervical vertebrae were knocked out of proper alignment and the result is your various symptoms. That is why steroids didn’t help, and medical doctors can’t see the subluxations as they are typically not very large (so doctors think they are within normal limits). Therefore, if it were me, I’d see an upper cervical chiropractor as the first step.
Once you know your vertebrae are all in proper alignment and are holding their proper positions, then see what symptoms you have left if any. I’ve dealt with people that have this annoying chirping tinnitus. You can find an upper cervical chiropractor at http://www.upcspine.com/ then click on “Practitioners” to find one near you.
Cordially,
Neil
Carlo Pontico Fortuna says
Hello Neil,
I have been hearing impaired for 30 years now and I have been using a hearing aid since then. A year ago i have been diagnosed with tinnitus. 2 days ago, i noticed a change in the sound of my right ear. The sound comes with a chime. whether spoken words, tapping, doors closing, snapping a finger, it sounds with a chime and i hear less now with my right ear. Both ears are impaired. Can you help explain what has happened to my ear? thank you
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Carlo:
What happened in the few days before your chimes started? Do you have a tight neck, jaw or shoulders? Did you expose your ears to any loud sound?
If you “hear” the chimes without any corresponding body, head or neck movement, then I think you chimes are piggybacked on real sounds because you now have reactive tinnitus. This is a combination of tinnitus married to loudness hyperacusis. It is typically caused by sudden loud sounds or sustained louder sounds.
Cordially,
Neil
Laura says
Hello!
About a little over a year ago I got shingles starting in my neck and going down my left arm. I still feel stiffness in my shoulder and neck pain at times. Over the last month or so I developed a constant tinnitus that sounds like a hissing radiator in my left ear. Yesterday I also found that I experience chiming when I vigorously shake my head no.
From reading other people’s experiences, I tend to think this all might be related to my shingles neck stiffness. But why after a year?
Now hear me out…I have also gone through a recent spiritual awakening, and am wondering if this could somehow be related to developing clairaudience in some way? The spiritual revelations that I have experienced are much more recent than the shingles.
Any ideas besides me doing too much internet research? Lol Thanks for any thoughts that you might have
Neil Bauman, Ph.D. says
Hi Laura:
When your neck and shoulders are “tight” you often have “pinched” somatosensory nerves. This “pinching” hyperstimulates these nerves. They send these hyperstimulated signals to the base of your brain like they do with all their other signals. There, overloaded neurons multitask and mistakenly send some of these signals to your auditory nerve which are thus sent to the auditory parts of your brain. There, they are decoded as sounds instead of somatosensory signals such as touch and pain. Thus you hear various somatosensory tinnitus sounds.
I think this is what is happening to you. I can only speculate on the reason for taking a year to appear. It’s interesting that nerve “damage” doesn’t always appear right away, but is delayed. For example, nerve damage that results in Meniere’s disease takes an average of 25 years to show up after the nerves are “pinched”. Furthermore, if you are more anxious or stressed now, your muscles tighten up even more and thus can pull vertebrae out of alignment and cause the nerve to be “pinched”.
I don’t see that clairaudience has anything to do with it. Incidentally, a lot of what passes for clairaudience is just normal ear problems such as tinnitus, Musical Ear Syndrome and audio pareidolia to name three. So if you have those conditions, don’t assume it is clairaudience.
Cordially,
Neil