# noise that I hear when I turn my head in certain positions **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 21, 2020, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noise-that-i-hear-when-i-turn-my-head-in-certain-positions/848322 "2020-02-21T19:46:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@cmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmore)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noise-that-i-hear-when-i-turn-my-head-in-certain-positions/848322/1 "2020-02-21T19:46:31Z")
if I turn my head and hold it in certain positions, I hear a noise (or there’s a sensation that my brain interprets as noise) that will go away if I turn my head a little further either direction. the best I can describe the noise is that it sounds like an amplifier circuit humming thru speakers at a very low volume. anyone else experience this or is there a name for it? I’ve described it to friends of mine and it’s nothing they’ve experienced. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noise-that-i-hear-when-i-turn-my-head-in-certain-positions/848322/2 "2020-02-21T20:37:31Z")
[Somatosensory tinnitus](Diagnosis and management of somatosensory tinnitus: review article)? IANAD, but that’s what google turned up. Apparently, a common enough phenomenon that it’s studied and published. > [@](#): > > This means that the psychoacoustic attributes of tinnitus (loudness and pitch) might be changed immediately –though only temporarily – by different stimuli, such as the following: forceful muscle contractions of head, neck and limbs; eye movements in the horizontal or vertical axis, pressure on myofascial trigger points; cutaneous stimulation of the hand/fingertip region and of the face; electrical stimulation of the median nerve and hand; or finger movements as well as orofacial movements. Maybe an actual medical professional would care to tell me if I’m guessing wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noise-that-i-hear-when-i-turn-my-head-in-certain-positions/848322/3 "2020-02-21T22:34:43Z")
I went through a phase like this that lasted several moths. Except the noise I heard sounded more like crinkling paper or clicky type noises. ---
**Author:** ![dan39](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/258eb7/32.png) [@dan39](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dan39)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noise-that-i-hear-when-i-turn-my-head-in-certain-positions/848322/4 "2020-02-21T23:32:33Z")
Go to Google and look up Tinnitus. I have the same thing, but it’s constant with me, no matter which way I turn my head. The only reprieve I get from it is when I’m sleeping. It can come and go, and mine is associated with vertigo. Not very good if you’re driving and I have an ‘incident’. There are may different frequencies at which tinnitus is heard. Mine is particularly high and I’ve had it for so long I kind of got used to it. With proper hearing retraining, you can learn to tune it out. I’ve had both CT scan and MRI and there is nothing in my ear canals that is of any concern, it’s just something I have to live with. And, there is no cure. ---
**Author:** ![dan39](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/258eb7/32.png) [@dan39](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dan39)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2020, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noise-that-i-hear-when-i-turn-my-head-in-certain-positions/848322/5 "2020-02-21T23:33:58Z")
Sorry, I got the 60-second warning and posted this twice. ---
**Author:** ![cmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@cmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmore)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noise-that-i-hear-when-i-turn-my-head-in-certain-positions/848322/6 "2020-02-22T06:16:37Z")
I guess it is some form of this. it looks like many people that experience this the noise changes or fluctuates in direct relation to their pulse. in mine, my pulse doesn’t have any effect on it. it’s just a constant sound, with no sound if I move my neck right or left slightly. and I can’t just decide to do it. but when I do have it occur, which is frequently, I can turn my head in and out of that range and get it to reliably come and go for as many times as I care to (not that I’ve ever cared to do it for any extended periods). ---
**Author:** ![cmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@cmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmore)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noise-that-i-hear-when-i-turn-my-head-in-certain-positions/848322/7 "2020-02-22T06:19:32Z")
> [@cmore](#): > > if I turn my head and hold it in certain positions, I hear a noise (or there’s a sensation that my brain interprets as noise) that will go away if I turn my head a little further either direction. the best I can describe the noise is that it sounds like an amplifier circuit humming thru speakers at a very low volume. anyone else experience this or is there a name for it? I’ve described it to friends of mine and it’s nothing they’ve experienced. > [@gnoitall](#): > > [Somatosensory tinnitus](Diagnosis and management of somatosensory tinnitus: review article)? > > IANAD, but that’s what google turned up. Apparently, a common enough phenomenon that it’s studied and published. > > Maybe an actual medical professional would care to tell me if I’m guessing wrong. I didn’t have any luck getting your link to work ---
**Author:** ![mjmlabs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mjmlabs/32/69_2.png) [@mjmlabs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjmlabs)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2020, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noise-that-i-hear-when-i-turn-my-head-in-certain-positions/848322/8 "2020-02-22T06:44:31Z")
> [@cmore](#): > > I didn’t have any luck getting your link to work Here, try some of these: > **[Somatosensory Tinnitus: Correlation between Cranio-Cervico-Mandibular...](https://karger.com/aud/article-abstract/21/6/372/44532/Somatosensory-Tinnitus-Correlation-between-Cranio?redirectedFrom=fulltext)** > > Abstract. In a subpopulation of patients, tinnitus can be modulated by movements of the jaw or head and neck due to complex somatosensory-auditory interactions. In some of these subjects, tinnitus could be related to an underlying temporomandibular... > **[Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and Treatment of Somatosensory Tinnitus: A Scoping...](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5408030/)** > > Somatosensory tinnitus is a generally agreed subtype of tinnitus that is associated with activation of the somatosensory, somatomotor, and visual-motor systems. A key characteristic of somatosensory tinnitus is that is modulated by physical contact... > **[Audiology Worldnews](https://www.audiology-worldnews.com/focus-on/1362-when-should-a-patient-with-tinnitus-be-referred-to-a-physiotherapist)** > > Find the latest news and topics related to audiology and get to know about the latest hearing aids and implants on the market, conferences... I Am Not A Medical Professional, but it certainly appears to me, based on skimming a few Google results, that: 1. What you describe is not altogether uncommon; 2. “Somatosensory Tinnitus” (a subset of “Somatic Tinnitus”) is the entirely-descriptive name for this phenomenon; 3. It appears to be related, in at least some cases, to “an underlying temporomandibular (TMJ) or craniocervical (NECK) dysfunction,” which may (or may not) respond to treatment such as physical therapy; but 4. The whole thing is poorly understood and (say it with me, gang!) more study is clearly required. Bottom line from a non-medical professional: You should go get that checked out by a medical professional. They won’t think you’re crazy and they may be able to help. In fact, the symptom you describe could be the first sign of something that could turn out to be pretty serious if ignored. Not to worry you, but (personal anecdote) a relative of mine had TMJ problems and I can assure you, nipping that in the bud is exactly what you want to do, as opposed to “ignoring it and hoping it goes away,” which was her Plan A. ---
**Author:** ![cmore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@cmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmore)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noise-that-i-hear-when-i-turn-my-head-in-certain-positions/848322/9 "2020-02-23T22:51:05Z")
> [@mjmlabs](#): > > Here, try some of these: > > [Somatosensory Tinnitus: Correlation between Cranio-Cervico-Mandibular Disorder History and Somatic Modulation | Audiology and Neurotology | Karger Publishers](https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/452472) > > [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5408030/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5408030/) > > [http://www.audiology-worldnews.com/focus-on/1362-when-should-a-patient-with-tinnitus-be-referred-to-a-physiotherapist](http://www.audiology-worldnews.com/focus-on/1362-when-should-a-patient-with-tinnitus-be-referred-to-a-physiotherapist) > > I Am Not A Medical Professional, but it certainly appears to me, based on skimming a few Google results, that: > > 1. What you describe is not altogether uncommon; > > 2. “Somatosensory Tinnitus” (a subset of “Somatic Tinnitus”) is the entirely-descriptive name for this phenomenon; > > 3. It appears to be related, in at least some cases, to “an underlying temporomandibular (TMJ) or craniocervical (NECK) dysfunction,” which may (or may not) respond to treatment such as physical therapy; but > > 4. The whole thing is poorly understood and (say it with me, gang!) more study is clearly required. > > Bottom line from a non-medical professional: You should go get that checked out by a medical professional. They won’t think you’re crazy and they may be able to help. In fact, the symptom you describe could be the first sign of something that could turn out to be pretty serious if ignored. Not to worry you, but (personal anecdote) a relative of mine had TMJ problems and I can assure you, nipping that in the bud is exactly what you want to do, as opposed to “ignoring it and hoping it goes away,” which was her Plan A. thank you for the time you spent on your reply. can I ask how your relative is doing or what happened relating to this? ---
**Author:** ![mjmlabs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mjmlabs/32/69_2.png) [@mjmlabs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mjmlabs)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2020, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noise-that-i-hear-when-i-turn-my-head-in-certain-positions/848322/10 "2020-02-23T23:08:23Z")
Sure. Her jaw was locked closed when she woke up one day; had emergency surgery later that day to reposition things properly and has been fine for the 20 or so years since. Pretty unpleasant experience, and an expensive one, that probably could have been avoided if she’d seen someone about her symptoms instead of hoping they’d go away on their own. Live and learn, right? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noise-that-i-hear-when-i-turn-my-head-in-certain-positions/848322/11 "2020-02-24T06:45:35Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I went through a phase like this that lasted several moths. Except the noise I heard sounded more like crinkling paper or clicky type noises. I’ve had that happen when an ear hair either gets too long and bends or breaks off and falls into the ear canal. Odd, crinkly sounds when moving your head, or when tightening your jaw muscles (which seems to move the inside of the ears). Sometimes you can use a tweezers to grab the loose hair, or try cleaning the ear with a cotton swab (but don’t push it deeper). Otherwise, washing your hair and rinsing out the ears good will generally get it out. But this is only a temporary thing – only lasts a few hours, never months.