5 ms·

I have mild tinnitus, it's not really bothering me but is noticeable in quiet environments. I find it interesting that I can exacerbate it by pulling on my jaw

by lutorm 10y ago

I have mild tinnitus, it's not really bothering me but is noticeable in quiet environments. I find it interesting that I can exacerbate it by pulling on my jaw or clenching my jaw. If I'm feeling a bit under the weather, it is also exacerbated by moving my eyes. So at least in my case, there's a definite connection to muscles around the ear. There appears to be at least some support for this in the literature, e.g. http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1808-86942012000600004&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S1808-86942012000600004&...

krautsourced 10y ago
I can confirm that for mine as well. If I move my jaw forward, I can hear a very clear high pitched noise, relatively loud too. Even when my regular tinnitus is barely or not at all audible. Stretching the neck and jaw muscles can sometimes help or at the very least modify the sound. Also, colds and such seem to have a very direct effect on it as well. At least for me, it does not seem to be related to stress as such. Funny, btw., I'm 39 and up until last week or so I was certain that the high pitched noise happened to everyone if they moved their jaw forward. I've had that for as long as I can remember, way before I ever had my first tinnitus episode, and never even thought that that may not be normal :)
jdc0589 10y ago
weird... I don't have tinnitus, that I know of, but if I put earbuds in that provide a lot of sound dampening and clench my jaw muscles, it makes a pretty noticeable roaring sound, kind of sounds like the inside of an airplane.
- wmkn 10y ago
  I think that is just the sound of your muscles tensing. I hear it too when I clench my jaw muscles, at the same time I hear a louder version of my tinnitus. So at least for me they are distinct sounds.
- FreeFull 10y ago
  I think that's the sound of your Eustachian tubes being open.
  - lutorm 10y ago
    That's an interesting theory.
fokinsean 10y ago
Same, also getting drunk makes it worse for me.
- kentt 10y ago
  Yep even just one beer will make it worse for me the next day. Also running, the harder I run the worse it is.
J-dawg 10y ago
Same here. If I clench my jaw or push it forward it gets much louder and more noticeable, especially on one side.
- tim333 10y ago
  I was reading up on the physics of how hearing works at the molecular level and the movements involved are very small of the order of the width of an atom so shoving elsewhere on the head might be able to affect things in the ear on that scale. The mechanism kind of works by running a sort of string (tip link) between two hairs linked to an ion channel so when a wave moves the hairs the string pulls the channel open enough to let K+ ions through. The whole thing looks Heath Robinson enough to go wrong fairly easily. http://www.cochlea.eu/en/hair-cells http://www.cochlea.eu/en/hair-cells
blawson 10y ago
It's similar for me. I'm not sure if the tinnitus is the result of too many loud concerts / events, or constant jaw tension (TMJ). I've had it for about 5 years now, but it's generally pretty mild. I do notice I won't hear anything in the mornings sometimes so I suspect it's psychological, or tension related. Two purchases have had a huge impact on my quality of life related to the tinnitus: 1. A pill case with some musicians earplugs on my keychain. Never feel like I need to decline an invite to a noisy place: https://www.amazon.com/Water-proof-Air-tight-Aluminum-Keychain-Medication/dp/B00APD9TPE/ref=sr_1_7_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1470168666&sr=1-7&keywords=pill+keychain https://www.amazon.com/Water-proof-Air-tight-Aluminum-Keycha... 2. The Bose qc20 noise cancelling earbuds - they don't go inside the canal, so they don't irritate or exacerbate the tinnitus, and for me at least the noise cancelling effect counteracts the tinnitus frequency.
zaptheimpaler 10y ago
Same! In my case, i only started noticing tinnitus after a month or so of lots of stretching and exercises to relieve neck/shoulder pain, and i can even make it go away temporarily by tapping the back of my head. Tinnitus is definitely muscle related for lots of us I suppose.

by lutorm 10y ago

krautsourced 10y ago

I can confirm that for mine as well. If I move my jaw forward, I can hear a very clear high pitched noise, relatively loud too. Even when my regular tinnitus is barely or not at all audible. Stretching the neck and jaw muscles can sometimes help or at the very least modify the sound. Also, colds and such seem to have a very direct effect on it as well. At least for me, it does not seem to be related to stress as such. Funny, btw., I'm 39 and up until last week or so I was certain that the high pitched noise happened to everyone if they moved their jaw forward. I've had that for as long as I can remember, way before I ever had my first tinnitus episode, and never even thought that that may not be normal :)

jdc0589 10y ago

weird... I don't have tinnitus, that I know of, but if I put earbuds in that provide a lot of sound dampening and clench my jaw muscles, it makes a pretty noticeable roaring sound, kind of sounds like the inside of an airplane.

wmkn 10y ago
I think that is just the sound of your muscles tensing. I hear it too when I clench my jaw muscles, at the same time I hear a louder version of my tinnitus. So at least for me they are distinct sounds.
FreeFull 10y ago
I think that's the sound of your Eustachian tubes being open.
- lutorm 10y ago
  That's an interesting theory.

fokinsean 10y ago

Same, also getting drunk makes it worse for me.

kentt 10y ago
Yep even just one beer will make it worse for me the next day. Also running, the harder I run the worse it is.

J-dawg 10y ago

Same here. If I clench my jaw or push it forward it gets much louder and more noticeable, especially on one side.

tim333 10y ago
I was reading up on the physics of how hearing works at the molecular level and the movements involved are very small of the order of the width of an atom so shoving elsewhere on the head might be able to affect things in the ear on that scale. The mechanism kind of works by running a sort of string (tip link) between two hairs linked to an ion channel so when a wave moves the hairs the string pulls the channel open enough to let K+ ions through. The whole thing looks Heath Robinson enough to go wrong fairly easily. http://www.cochlea.eu/en/hair-cells http://www.cochlea.eu/en/hair-cells

blawson 10y ago

It's similar for me. I'm not sure if the tinnitus is the result of too many loud concerts / events, or constant jaw tension (TMJ). I've had it for about 5 years now, but it's generally pretty mild. I do notice I won't hear anything in the mornings sometimes so I suspect it's psychological, or tension related. Two purchases have had a huge impact on my quality of life related to the tinnitus: 1. A pill case with some musicians earplugs on my keychain. Never feel like I need to decline an invite to a noisy place: https://www.amazon.com/Water-proof-Air-tight-Aluminum-Keychain-Medication/dp/B00APD9TPE/ref=sr_1_7_s_it?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1470168666&sr=1-7&keywords=pill+keychain https://www.amazon.com/Water-proof-Air-tight-Aluminum-Keycha... 2. The Bose qc20 noise cancelling earbuds - they don't go inside the canal, so they don't irritate or exacerbate the tinnitus, and for me at least the noise cancelling effect counteracts the tinnitus frequency.

zaptheimpaler 10y ago

Same! In my case, i only started noticing tinnitus after a month or so of lots of stretching and exercises to relieve neck/shoulder pain, and i can even make it go away temporarily by tapping the back of my head. Tinnitus is definitely muscle related for lots of us I suppose.