My journey to silencing tinnitus

Hearing, Ear Health & Tinnitus
1

Most users here only share their struggles, so I wanted to provide a bit of hope. I managed to cure my tinnitus. It’s effectively at a 0.05/10 now. I don’t notice it during the day, while I’m asleep, or even in quiet rooms. There’s only a faint trace if I really go looking for it, and even that is disappearing.

My case was somatic, so if yours is from hearing loss, I’m truly sorry. Here is my experience and what actually worked for me.

It started out of nowhere a few months back. Initially, the sound was intense and terrifying. I was constantly monitoring it, giving it a score, losing sleep from panic, and fearing it would destroy my future. My ENT told me it was just a normal sound like a heartbeat, and the audiologist said I just had to accept it. Both essentially told me there was no cure.

However, my hearing tests were perfect. My tympanometry and acoustic reflexes were all normal with no signs of loss. That was my first hint: this wasn’t permanent hearing damage. It was somatic, meaning it was tied to muscle tension.

I noticed the sound changed depending on my jaw position, neck angle, how I slept, and my stress levels. It spiked when my ear hit the pillow or when I clenched my teeth, but it softened after I stretched or yawned. Those are the hallmarks of somatic tinnitus, not ear damage.

I realized specialists weren’t going to solve this, so I took my health into my own hands.

What actually made a difference:

  1. Neck and jaw stretching
  2. Masseter muscle massage
  3. Improving my posture
  4. Learning to relax my jaw
  5. Mobility work for the neck
  6. Daily meditation
  7. Putting my phone away an hour before bed
  8. Consciously clenching less
  9. Lowering overall stress
  10. The biggest factor: ignoring the sound. I know it’s frustrating to hear, but nothing is more effective than removing your focus from it.

I followed YouTube stretching routines daily, focusing on the jaw and neck. As the physical tension faded, the noise faded with it. It wasn’t an instant fix; it was a slow process with ups and downs, but it trended toward silence. Meditation also helped me realize I was grinding my teeth in the morning.

Eventually, the volume dropped from a 10 to a 5, then a 2, and finally down to nearly nothing. It took about 20 days of consistent posture work and exercises to reach silence. I know it could return if I fall back into old habits, so I still maintain good posture, stretch daily, and avoid clenching. If it comes back, I have the tools to handle it.

I’m sharing this because the internet is full of horror stories. Not all tinnitus is forever. Mine was caused by tension, and fixing that tension fixed the sound.

If your hearing is fine but the sound changes when you move your neck or jaw, there is a strong chance you can find relief too.

Here are the videos I used:

The most helpful ones:

Dr. Joe Damiani’s shorts were also great. I did these exercises every morning and night.

13 Likes
2

This is a massive relief to hear. A lot of this information is scattered, thanks for compiling.

3

I couldn’t solve my tension with just exercise because I was clenching so hard in my sleep. Masseter Botox was the only thing that helped my low-frequency sound. I still need to work on my posture and sleep habits for the long term, though.

4

Did the exercises cause a temporary spike for you? I have similar issues, but sometimes the sound gets really loud after a massage, physical therapy, or if I overdo the workouts.

5

This is fantastic news! Thank you for the detailed post and the helpful links.

6

I’m glad you found relief. I do wonder sometimes if these cases resolve because of the exercises or if they were just going to fade anyway since you hadn’t had it for very long. I’d be interested to see if this works for someone who has had severe tinnitus for many years.

7

I’m not entirely sure which category my tinnitus falls into, but I’m fairly certain it isn’t linked to hearing loss. There’s just something odd happening with my right ear. I’ve dealt with ETD in the past, which resurfaced after a cold recently, and it hasn’t quite cleared up. Along with the high-pitched sound, I have pulsatile tinnitus where I can hear my heartbeat in my head, especially on the right side. I’ve been trying EarfixPro lately to see if it helps. Does this sound like it could be somatic?

8

I think you’re definitely on the right track. When my ringing first started, I kept seeing TMJ mentioned as a possible cause, which makes total sense given how the jaw interacts with the ears. I didn’t really believe it until my dentist mentioned I was likely grinding my teeth. It took another six months for me to realize I was clenching my jaw 24/7 and had been in pain for years. I started using a mouth guard and retrained my jaw to relax. After a few months, the pain went away and my tinnitus dropped by about 10-20%. It sounds small, but it’s a massive difference. I can actually sleep now because the volume isn’t so high at night. I think mine was triggered by a loud concert, but the jaw issues were making it much worse. Any reduction in volume is a huge win.

9

You have no idea how much I needed to read this. It gave me a sense of hope that there’s a way out of this. I had surgery for Eagle Syndrome two months ago, but when I started running again, all my old symptoms returned. A physical therapist recently told me my neck muscles are incredibly tight. I’m trying to do exercises without aggravating the sound too much, but my mental state has been rough. Doctors won’t give me a straight answer on whether it’s physical or mental; the ENT just told me to live with it. Finding someone with similar jaw and neck issues is such a relief. I was having a terrible day, but this helped me calm down and realize I just need to keep going. Thank you so much. I’m actually tearing up writing this.

10

I’m in a similar spot—it’s been two years for me. It’s definitely somatic and linked to my jaw and neck. Physical therapy for my neck helped occasionally. I’m currently seeing a TMD specialist, using an orthotic, and taking muscle relaxants while starting jaw PT. I’m seeing some minor improvements here and there. I suspect I’ll need dry needling eventually because the fascia around my ears and jaw just won’t stay relaxed. It’s good to see someone find a path that works.

11

My hearing tests are normal too. Even though this started after I had COVID, I know my posture and jaw health aren’t great and are likely contributing to the problem. Thanks for the info.

12

I really appreciate you sharing this. Your symptoms are very similar to mine, but I’ve been stuck with this for four years. I’m hoping these tips can help me get some relief.

13

I think I have the same thing. One specific thing I noticed is that the sound gets louder when I lean my head down toward my knees.

14

If my ringing reacted to physical movement, I’d feel much more optimistic about a cure. Unfortunately, mine doesn’t. I just woke up one day years ago with my ears ringing and it hasn’t stopped. Sometimes I notice it more than others, but it is always there.

15

This resonates with me, though I have a hard time with neck movements; sometimes they seem to make the ringing worse instead of better.

16

This sounds exactly like what I’m going through with my neck. When I open my mouth wide, the noise changes in sync with the movement. I’ve also noticed it gets worse after I do back squats. Currently, the ringing is very quiet and my neck feels loose. It’s encouraging to read this because I’ve suspected my neck was the culprit.