Tensor tympani is a muscle within the ear that reacts to sudden loud sounds. It tenses to reduce the volume of sound when you chew food and tone down the sound of your voice when you speak. When it works properly, you aren’t aware of it, however, when you have Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome you can heart thunder, tapping, hammering or gun shot type sounds.
Symptoms include:
- Fluttering sensation
- Muffled hearing
- Fullness
- Balance problems
- Tinnitus
- Pain, numbness or burning
- Headache
- Vertigo
I have never been able to tolerate yelling. If someone raises their voice near me for too long it drives me crazy because I hear a hammering sound after each word. Sometimes large crowds or a loud group of people can be exhausting and I feel overstimulated. I sometimes find myself recovering from the day in a silent room.
Now that you have a better understanding about the clicking sounds in your head, you can follow up with an ENT specialist or talk to your doctor. I take CBD oil to stay relaxed and I am looking into acupuncture soon. I am just mostly relieved to know that I am not crazy and that my entire life is starting to make sense. I would love to hear your story!
This is so interesting because my family label me as ‘oversensitive’ to sounds. When lying on the sofa my husband’s feet walking past (he is rather heavy footed) sounds like he is clapping his hands around my ears with every tread. Through the sofa! I feel like a freak. Other loud sounds like clanking of dishes literally hurts my head and I gasp with the pain sometimes. I was diagnosed in 2020 at age 56 and am still getting my head around it. It’s overwhelming.