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0 pointsmikegerwitz9y ago0 comments

My tinnitus is hereditary, from my father's side. I have a constant ringing that my mind usually filters out unless I think about it, but some nights it can be pretty "loud".

I quote the word because I can hear even the slightest sounds like the ticking of a watch in another room in complete silence, while at the same time being overwhelmed by the ringing. I had a hearing test done a couple years ago at a neurological institute to try to diagnose other issues (migraine-related), and my hearing was higher than they could measure. So it's not damage. It's quite fascinating.

I've gone to only one concert in my lifetime, and I don't listen to loud music. I haven't been around loud equipment for any length of time.

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corysama9y ago

Does it get louder when you clench your jaw? Sometimes tinnitus is due to teeth/jaw issues. Sometimes people report tinnitus getting worse or better after getting teeth removed or jaw work done. For a variety of reasons, I'm starting to think my ringing is at least partially due to pressure on my teeth and jaw. Now I need to find a TMJ specialist who will be willing to try to figure out what might help.

mikegerwitzOP9y ago

That's an interesting observation! Yes, it does, and it's a higher pitch.

That might be something to explore; thank you for that. I also grind my teeth aggressively at night (which I wasn't aware of until ~1y ago when my wife told me).

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