Tension syndrome is common in people who spend excessive time in front of a computer, in a fixed position or under great stress. Learn how this ailment is related to tinnitus and its treatment:
Symptoms of tension syndrome
Tension syndrome occurs due to one or several muscles blockage of the cervical area. This type of contracture frequently appears in people who work in front of a computer keeping their muscles in the same position, but it may also come as a result of stress. The contraction causes soreness in the area and alters the normal functioning of the muscle.
The patient usually has pain in the cervical area caused by the contractures and accompanied by headache. In some cases the pressure induced by muscular tensions may lead to tinnitus or hums. Patients describe it as an ear popping and a continuous beeping.
Other symptoms can be vertigo, dizziness and in certain cases, tingling in the hands. These symptoms affect to the quality of life of people suffering from this illness. It can occur every day or several times a week.
What causes the tension syndrome?
The causes of the tension syndrome can be due to different factors:
Physical causes
Resting is essential for the health; habits, posture, mattress or pillow may adversely affect our backbone. Another factor to take into consideration is work. Spending all day in front of the computer, in static positions or carrying excess weight can affect postural correction.
Emotional causes
People who suffer from some stress disorder or depression tend to not get enough rest and to be in tension, any movement might result in muscular contracture.
Treatment of the tension syndrome
Ask to your specialist if you are suffering any of these symptoms so that he can study it and make an accurate diagnosis, rejecting other possible pathologies.
Once the tension syndrome is diagnosed, the problem that causes it must be identified so as to be remedied.
Seeing a physiotherapist may be needed to eliminate the contracture. By achieving the relaxation of muscles and following some postural correction guidelines, headache and cervical pain will recede as well as tinnitus and vertigo. In other cases the patient should see a therapist to help him coping with stress situations.
What about you, have you ever suffered from tension syndrome? Looking forward to reading you at the comments below.
As a 53 year old woman I have recently been experiencing neck and head tension with intermittent ear pressure and tinnitus which can be very loud especially at night. When I am busy in the day it is barely noticeable but at times almost unbearable. I had assumed it was related to menopause changes but perhaps it is muscular in nature.
Good morning Jane! Thanks for sharing your experience with us. There is a possibility that it could be muscular. Our recommendation is to see a specialist to diagnose your particular case.
I’m a 31 year old male who is experiencing the same thing you are it seems. Strange frontal pressure headaches that are intermittent, tingling of my skull, constant ringing that I don’t really get bothered by until my day is winding down, random bouts of very short anxiety. I’ve had back and shoulder and neck pain for awhile now. I’m a barber.
Thanks for sharing your experience with us, Kory!
I am 32 year old male that suddenly had tinnitus come about while watching tv the other week. I know I do struggle with neck pain and upper back pain. Of course my family doctor and audiologist have told me there is nothing I can do. There is no other feeling of hopelessness when you hear that.
Hi Josh, thank you for sharing your experience with us. We are so sorry to read this,best wishes!
I started with tinitus 6 months ago . I have muscle contractions in my neck and a constant headache .
I eork on a computer and letter write . You may well have found my answer to why I’m like this. What specialist do you recommend. Can you reccomend any ?
Good morning Lisa, thanks for sharing your personal experience with us. Our recommendation is seeing first a physiotherapist,as you mentioned muscle contractions. The physiotherapist may be needed to eliminate the contracture. By achieving the relaxation of muscles and following some postural correction guidelines, headache and cervical pain will be reduced.
Hi there, I have had about 10 years tinnitus symptoms. It is relative to muscle tension on neck and other muscles around my upper body. My work includes lot of sitting at computer. My living area has a cold climate and you need to protect your neck of cold winds. Those weathers brings your muscles more tension. I have also bruxism where it makes me chewing tooth at night. Possibly cause are stress and xylitol-gum chewing. My dentist prompt to stop chewing gums but offer a better solution: mouldable toothguard which prevents to chewing and grinding your tooth. It should be used at night. I could affect a lot of those ear ringing symptoms, as especially training your muscles regularly, having a massage for muscles, having a cold-hot-cures and taking ibuprofen for acute pain and tension.
Thank you so much for sharing your personal experience with us, Eelis!
Hi I am 67and worked as a chef very physical work pulled a muscle at my back and neck and lately have a noise in my ear when the house is quiet m
Good morning Maura! We recommend that you seek medical attention to treat the muscle injury in your neck and back and to investigate the noise in your ear. An otolaryngologist may be a good starting point for your evaluation.
I have had extreme hot flushes with going through menopause, About 3 years into the hot flushes I developed pulsile tinnitis. I have been to the Dr but she thinks it is nothing as the tinnitis flutuates from ear to ear. I have wondered if the tinnitis is because of the stress caused through the extreme hot flushes and the muscles becoming tense, I could feel myself stressing with the onset of these extreme hot flushes. I also wonder if it is because of my nervious system a little out of wack. Any thoughts would be appriciated.
Good morning Lorraine! Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Our recommendation is to see a specialist, so he could study your case and make an accurate diagnosis. If the tension syndrome is diagnosed, the problem that causes it must be then indentified in order to be remedied.
In my case some factors cummulated and caused a muscular tinnitus. 1. Impingement in my right shoulder 18 months ago. I did too less to cure it! 2. It seems that I am tending to bite on my teeth hard at night. No crunching because otherwise my wife would have heard it. 3. Some sort of stress at work (office) and bad sleep behaviour. 4. A mild ear infection in February.
The tinnitus started 6 Months ago on the left side and changed the side after a week. I was totally confused! I checked with my doctor and ENT and both told me it should be fine after the ear infection went away. But it didn’t! It was getting better, some days almost gone, but it always came back. My doctors could not see a link between the noise in the right side of my head, an impinged shoulder and muscular tensions. I told them that it is getting louder when I am chewing. And that it cracks so often in my neck and the back of my head!
A couple of weeks ago I went to a Chiropractor and this guy told me that I have very tensed jaw, neck and shoulder muscles and for him it is totally obvious that this is the reason for my tinnitus. The ear infection was the last drop to fill the glas and let my ears ring… It made totally sense for me and it explains why there are good days and bad days. On good days, my muscles are more relaxed. In my case the main trouble maker ist the muscle called sternocleidomastoideus.
Now I wear a bite guard at night and I am working to fix my shoulder and dedicated thera-band and stretching excercises and massage. I am also trying to avoid lying in bed on the right shoulder. Unfortunately I canot sleep on the back. It is progressing. I often feel how my neck muscles are trying to pull back into the wrong position. I have to be careful, because too intense training makes the noise louder.
My Chiropractor is confident that we can switch off the tinnitus. But I have to be patient, it can take a year, maybe longer. If the bad days of today are like the good days of 3 months ago, I’m fine.
Thank you very much for sharing with us in detail your first-hand experience with tinnitus. We really hope that your tinnitus situation will get better, be patient. 🙂
Similar as HCP7. All started for me after covid vaccine. Upper back, shoulder exercises helping me greatly.
Thank you for your blogpost.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We are glad the upper back and shoulder exercises have been beneficial for you.
My tinnitus story is this. I had a mild heart attack in December 2020. Got 3 stints and was prescribe typical heat drugs. On waking in the morning on Feb. 14th 2021 my tinnitus went from a level 1 to level 9? I took the hearing test 5 years before and again that following week and nothing had change in my hearing chart? During that week prior to this, I was going to physical rehab a couple times a week and doing exercises at home. The amount of noise in my head was equal to the ringing you would experience just after a loud concert or firecracker exploding next to you. This went on for days and weeks until I calmed down and it slipped down to a 7. That is where it rest now, which is still fairly miserable. Two days a week it drops down to a level 2. Does anyone have any thoughts like somatic tinnitus?
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Ronald! It’s important to consult a healthcare provider for personalized advice. Somatic tinnitus, which can be influenced by body movements, is one possibility to explore. Additionally, stress and physical activities can impact tinnitus perception. It might be beneficial to discuss these experiences with a healthcare provider for a comprehensive evaluation and management plan.