I have had loads of trouble with my voice for 4 months, but I have spent the last 4 days not speaking, and I still notice that I have a weird tension feeling in my temples and head, teeth and jaw. I also have tinnitus. My instinct is that this is caused by stress- I have it all the time, and it gets much worse when I speak or sing. Any idea what it could be and how I can sort it out?
There are plenty of things which can affect your voice from tension to alcohol, from acid reflux to Globus Pharyngeus (ie we don't know what it is! - probably get jumped on for saying that!). Your symptoms sound like an ENT problem of some sort, but with so many possible causes, the best thing to do is get it investigated, by a professional since you really need to identify exactly what the problem is before you can look at solutions.
You may have more than one syndrome or condition giving rise to your symptoms and I think it would be wise to attend your GP as a first port of call and also possibly your dentist.
I used to get the same kind of pain in my head and jaw and found out that it was due to grinding my teeth in my sleep (which was in turn caused by stress/tension).
Try going to your dentist and asking them what they think, mine were able to tell by the shape of my gums and teeth that I was grinding. I now have a toothguard which stops me damaging my teeth and gums and stops the headaches as well
My tinnitus is constant yes, but it varies to degrees. I now know that the absolute best thing you can do with tinnitus is ignore it. If you listen to it it just gets louder and more noticeable.
I get tinnitis with menieres and find a personal stereo helps to distract it.
Tru the 4Head stick on yout temples and one of those nice cool and soothe things pads on your head for the tension.
Try relaxations techniques when you get the pai to reduce any tension.
Take a deep breath, feel your feet grounded on the floor, relax your shoulders and let your jaw drop and relax in general and breathe deeply for a bit, if it helps imagine and focus on something visually you find relaxing.