Herniated Disk & Anxiety causing Tinnitus??

[Ringing_Ears_232]

Back in October I herniated my disc in the L4-L5 region.  Incredible pain like I never felt before down my right leg and hence had associated anxiety due to pain. Doctor recommended to wait 2 - 3 weeks to see if pain went away. Gave me Celebrex for pain but I'm afraid of side effects(risk of stroke, etc) so I took Ibuprophen  2 -3 times per day over this period.  Finally, based on X-Rays, Doctor recommended Physical Therapy.  The very next day after my first PT session, my ears started ringing.  I noticed that the ringing seems to be exaserbated by one exercise --- its kind of a yoga move.  Lay on stomach, press up & arch back while keeping pelvis flat on floor.  I've since stopped this exercise & ringing has become less severe. When I awake in morning, ringing is very minimal but as day goes on & I eat just about anything(yes I know salt is bad), tinnutus gets worse.  Been to (3) ENT's who confirm no hearing damage. MRI's on Ear canal & brain are negative as well. No Thyroid issues either.  No forthcoming help from them.

I'm positive that the exercise I described above makes ringing worse....although not necessarily directly.  At times I seem to get bouts of anxiety /tense feeling for no reason. Usually passes within 30 min's or so; a couple of times per week.  I've read that Tinnitus can be caused by anxiety(note I work in a very low stress environment).  Could the incredible anxiety I experienced initially due to herniated disk be causing some sort of ongoing nerve/anxiety problem that is driving the Tinnitus???.....but things get worse when I do the "exercise". One other thing I notice is now I sometimes experince a cracking in my neck that I didn't notice before I started doing these exercises.  No pain associated with it though. Doctors seem puzzled when I mention my situation.  Ears have been ringing constantly since November.  Any ideas....very frustrating and sometimes have problems sleeping.  So what is tinnutus due to? Herniated disc pushing on a nerve that also is creating this weird occassional tenseness/anxity? Any ideas?  --Thanks--

[Ringing_Ears_232]

Kay,

No - I have not had any neck problems that I know of, though I did have a mild whiplash in a car accident about 13 years ago but never had any problems.  Ocassionally I hear a cracking when I move my head from side to side -- sometimes it seems louder & more pronounced than I can previously recall.  Today, no noticeable cracking in neck......ear ringing is very slight today though it varies. Some days it's mild, other days more severe.

Regarding anxiety -- tried taking Xanax which really quiets the ringing significantly - which seems to indicate a connection with reduced anxiety. However, I had to stop the Xanax because after 3 months of taking 0.5 -> 1mg per day - 2x per day, it made my hearing super sensitive & I couldn't even stand to listen to TV at a moderate level.   But one thing for sure -- that exercise I described earlier definitely makes things worse.  I have indeed stopped that exercise.  Perhaps it strains my neck?  Not sure.......Do you think a Chiropractor may be of help?

[Dr. A. Srivastava]

Thank you for your question. Although without being able to examine your lumps, I can not offer you the specific advice on diagnosis and treatment that you need, but I would try to provide you some relevant information about your health concern.

Tinnitus is mainly heard in ears but sometimes few persons feel that it is coming from head. Common reasons of tinnitus could be any inner ear disorder due to extreme noise or meniere’s disease, large ear wax, trauma, and due to some medications. However, anxiety related to any of the disease as you have may also cause this ringing sensation, therefore I would recommend a thorough check up with a doctor. If you are hearing continuous ringing noise, please arrange an appointment with an ENT specialist and neurologist right away who will evaluate the possibilities here and can provide you further treatment. Hope this information proves helpful to you. Take Care & Regards!!!

[kay290]

Tinnitis can be from your neck. Have you ever had any neck problems in the past?  You may have it now. Stop that exercise. Are you taking anything for the anxiety?