General Question

troubleinharlem's avatar

There's a high pitched ringing in my ears at all times... what is it?

Asked by troubleinharlem (7999points) November 5th, 2009

I mean, it’s always there. Does anyone else have this? I think that it might be normal, but I’m not sure because I asked some of my friends and they didn’t have it. D:

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17 Answers

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Response moderated
SpatzieLover's avatar

It could be many things. If it’s happened all your life, it’s most likely normal. If this is a new occurrence you need to see a doctor. It can be a symptom of many ailments.

troubleinharlem's avatar

@erichw1504 – I mean, I’ve always had it, so I’m assuming that it’s normal. Dude-bro, you just changed your answer and now I have to change mine! xD

SpatzieLover's avatar

@troubleinharlem An audiologist would be able to answer this one best. There is one on Fluther so you’ll get an appropriate online answer. It really is something you should tell a real life doctor about.

The_Compassionate_Heretic's avatar

They call this “tinnitus”. Many people have this.

buckyboy28's avatar

Could be tinnitus. It sometimes happens when you listen to music too loud.

I am not a doctor though.

troubleinharlem's avatar

@SpatzieLover – Or I can just ask an audiologist. I don’t want to bother the audiologist on here – he has better things to do. ^^;

@lbinva78, @The_Compassionate_Heretic, @buckyboy28 – I’m careful about how loud music is, but tinnitus works for the most part.

erichw1504's avatar

Sometimes, I have a low humming in my right ear and to get rid of it, I just shake my head.

Interestingly I always hold my cell phone to that ear, that could be it.

SolitaryMan's avatar

Michael Jackson’s spirit….............beat it,,,,beat it,,,,come on and beat it,,,,,but seriously you may have a pierced ear drum….see a doctor and no more MJ music for you.

faye's avatar

i would see a doctor. wouldn’t you like it to stop?

gailcalled's avatar

Tinnitus (or ringing in the ear) is one symptom of a more severe disease..Ménière’s

hearkat's avatar

Hello, I am the resident Audiologist jelly. (and I am a she) I am at work at the moment, so I do have better things to do… but I’m in-between patients.

Tinnitus is the name for any sounds heard in the ear/s or head that do not have an external source.

I remember being put down for a nap as a toddler and listening to my ears ring… so I thought everyone had it until I was in advanced courses in college. For some, like myself, it is “normal”.

Tinnitus typically is associated with hearing loss, and the frequencies where our hearing is the poorest often correlates to the pitch of the ringing, because there is less audible ambient noise to drown our the ringing. The ringing is especially common for people who have been exposed to excessive noise. The noise doesn’t need to be very loud if there is long-term exposure (e.g. dentists, hairdressers, seamstresses, housekeepers, etc.)

As others have noted, tinnitus can be a symptom of other problems or a side-effect of medications. It also tends to run in families. The best way to assess your individual case is to see your friendly neighborhood Audiologist for a comprehensive evaluation.

If you have any other symptoms to note or questions to ask, feel free to mention them, and I’ll address them when I get a chance. My patient’s here – gotta go!

troubleinharlem's avatar

@hearkat ; thanks so much! im sorry for taking up your time.

hearkat's avatar

@troubleinharlem: No apology needed… that’s what Fluther is for!

sophillyk's avatar

could be:
tinitus
going to too many raves
the sound of silence…. when i focus on it it gets really loud, haha i doubt its this one though

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