What causes temporary hearing loss and ringing?

---

What causes my one ear to sometime have a high pitch ringing, and loss of hearing for about a minute at the most? It is also slightly blocked, and has been for over 2 months.
Ringing of the ear is called Tinnitus.
Inside your inner ear, thousands of auditory cells maintain an electrical charge. Microscopic hairs form a fringe on the surface of each auditory cell. When they're healthy, these hairs move in relation to the pressure of sound waves. The movement triggers the cell to discharge electricity through the auditory nerve. Your brain interprets these signals as sound.

If the delicate hairs inside your inner ear are bent or broken, they move randomly in a constant state of irritation. Unable to hold their charge, the auditory cells "leak" random electrical impulses to your brain as noise.

Damage to auditory cells in your inner ear most commonly results from:

Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis). This process usually begins around age 60.
Noise-related damage to your inner ear. This erosion of your hearing ability may result from excessive exposure to loud noise over a long period of time. Tractors, chain saws and weapons are common sources of noise-related hearing loss. Portable music devices, such as MP3 players or iPods, may become a common source of noise-related hearing loss in the future if people play these devices loudly for long periods.
Other causes of tinnitus may include:

Long-term use of certain medications. Aspirin used in large doses and certain types of antibiotics can affect inner ear cells. Often the unwanted noise disappears when you stop using these drugs.
Changes in ear bones. Stiffening of the bones in your middle ear (otosclerosis) may affect your hearing.
Injury. Trauma to your head or neck can damage your inner ear.
Certain disorders of your blood vessels can cause a type of tinnitus called pulsatile tinnitus. These may include:

Atherosclerosis. With age and buildup of cholesterol and other fatty deposits, major blood vessels close to your middle and inner ear lose some of their elasticity — the ability to flex or expand slightly with each heartbeat. That causes blood flow to become more forceful and sometimes more turbulent, making it easier for your ear to detect the beats.
High blood pressure. Hypertension and factors that increase blood pressure, such as stress, alcohol and caffeine, can make the sound more noticeable. Repositioning your head usually causes the sound to disappear.
Turbulent blood flow. Narrowing or kinking in a carotid artery or jugular vein can cause turbulent blood flow and head noise.
Malformation of capillaries. A condition called A-V malformation, which occurs in the connections between arteries and veins, can result in head noise.
Head and neck tumors. Tinnitus may be a symptom of a tumor in your head or neck.

So as not to cause panic. Maybe it's just a simple case of water trapped in your ear. or an infection called otitis media. It would be prudent for you to go see an EENT for proper diagnosis. and treatment. All you need might only be an ear irrigation.

Tinnitus is usually caused by a head injury, an infection, such as colds or sinus infection or sinusitis, a disease or exposure to loud sounds such as gunshots and explosions.

It can be a sign of hearing loss, or it can result from head injuries, or diseases that range from the common cold to diabetes. People who work with noisy equipment, such as power tools, can also get it. Or tinnitus may be initiated by a single loud noise, such as a gunshot or an explosion. It can also be a symptom of almost any ear disorder, including the following:

Ear infections
Blocked ear canal
Blocked eustachian tube
Otosolerosis
Tumors of the middle ear
Meniere's disease
Damage to the ear caused by drugs (such as aspirin and some antibiotics)
Hearing loss
Blast injury from a blast or explosion

Tinnitus may also occur with other disorders such as anemia, heart and blood vessel disorders including hypertension and arteriosclerosis, and low thyroid hormone levels in the blood (hypothyroidism).

A wide variety of conditions and illnesses can lead to tinnitus. Blockages of the ear due to a buildup of wax, an infection (Otitis Media), or rarely, a tumor of the auditory nerve can cause the unwanted sounds. A perforated eardrum also could be the culprit. The most common source of chronic tinnitus is prolonged exposure to loud sounds from sources such as blaring radios, gunshots, jackhammers, industrial machinery, rock concerts, etc. The noise causes permanent damage to the sound-sensitive cells of the cochlea, a spiral- shaped organ in the inner ear. A single exposure to a sudden extremely loud noise can also cause tinnitus.

In sensitive people, the mercury in common amalgam dental fillings can lead to tinnitus. The ringing could also be a signal that the body is overwhelmed with stress and work.

Temporary tinnitus can also results from loose ear hair or a fragment from a recent haircut. They get deposited close to the ear drum, vibrate and create thunderous notes.

Sinus congestion, antibiotics, aspirin, barbiturates, quinine containing medications, exposure to chemicals such as carbon monoxide from gasoline fumes or the benzene used by dry cleaners, or by excessive consumption of aspirin, alcohol, or caffeine can also results in tinnitus. In fact, tinnitus is cited as a potential side effect for about 200 prescription and nonprescription drugs. In these cases, the tinnitus usually disappears when the underlying triggers are controlled, limited, or avoided.

Exercise can cause tinnitus by disrupting the auditory system's normal function. According to the New England Journal of Medicine (February 1991), ringing in the ears may result from the jarring force of high-impact exercises.

The natural process of aging can result in a deterioration of the cochlea (hearing organ) or other parts of the ear and lead to tinnitus. Tinnitus is also associated with Meniere's disease, a disorder of the inner ear, and otosclerosis, a degenerative disease of the small bones in the middle ear. Tinnitus can also be a symptom of a disorder of the neck or jaw, such as temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ).

For reasons not yet entirely clear to researchers, stress seems to worsen tinnitus.
In your case, probably it's due to a head cold.  (+ info)

How can I find a smoke alarm that makes a LOWER frequency? Can't hear high pitched sounds.?

---

I have some hearing loss and can't hear high pitched sounds -- such as smoke alarms and CO detectors. Is there a company that makes a smoke alarm with a lower frequency that I could hear? I've looked at strobe light alarms but don't really feel like that would be as good as having something I could hear. Thank you.
Eureka. I have your answer. There is a company that specifically makes a smoke alarm that makes a low frequency. My dad has one. Check http://loudenlow.com

Hope this helps.  (+ info)

Can anyone else hear this high frequency?

---

You know those fat TVs? Well they produce a really high frequency that I think I can only hear. I don't know what it's coming from but only the fat TVs make those noises. My sister, my mom, and my dad can't hear them. I have a mild hearing lost, a vein is over my ear drum which doesn't vibrate as fast as it should when a sound bounces on it. But I only have problem with low frequencies...
yeah i can too, like sometimes i knew when the tv was on because of the frequency i still can hear it :D  (+ info)

High pitched noises...is it hearing loss?

---

Every once in a while, when I am in my cafeteria or in a building, I hear a very high pitched noise that others do not seem to hear.

I also hear it in some songs every once in a while.

Someone told me that this was a sign of hearing loss (at the ripe age of 20!) Yikes. Is this true?
a high pitch noise in your ear means one of the fibers of your inner ear died. You have a lot of them, but as you get older they die off more and more, all people experience that at some point or another. To avoid it, no really loud noises like firecrackers and don't listen to loud music for over an hour at a time, wear earphones that cover the ear not those i-phone type ones those speed hearing loss  (+ info)

How Can I regain my hearing loss due to sound infection? I get more pain when I eat onions, tomatoes, etc.?

---

I got treatment from a specialist doctor about a year ago and experience alot of improvement but i decided to stop becuase I detected to had high blood preasure as a result of the drugs. So I became afraid. What is bothering me the most is the connection the pain has with eating onions, tomatoes, unripe fruit, etc. I normally have pain but the it increases any time I take food that contains the aforementioned things. The hearing loss increases and it seems there is a swoling in my ear.
Don't waste your time exploring produce and allergies as was suggested by someone else. You need to be evaluated by a health care provider. Try to be seen by the same Otolaryngologist who treated you a year ago if you can. If you can't, be seen by your primary. It may be that you have an inflammation of the parotid gland (parotitis, parotiditis). This is a large salivary gland located at both sides of the face, just in front of and below the ears. With parotitis eating certain foods or initially chewing anything can be very painful and the swelling can interfere with hearing. Hope you can get this problem resolved quickly.  (+ info)

can high levels of lead in your blood be a cause of hearing loss and nerve damage to the ears?

---

I have never read a report about lead poisoning linked to hearing loss. However... Lead is a nero-toxin so I suppose it could. Also lead is poisoning is asymptomatic which means there is no "ONE" symptom that can be linked to lead.

What is your blood lead level? It should have been reported in micrograms per deciliter of whole blood (ug/dl). Also what is your age and occupation / hobbies ?

For more info please read http://home.mindspring.com/~wrltc/lswp.pdf Its a book I wrote for parents doing re-modeling or having it done. And lead issues in general. It was paid for by a fed/state grant. Which means its your book as much as mine. Education about this subject is my job.

For more direct questions please contact me at [email protected] And feel free to pass this along to others.  (+ info)

can having mono cause a significant hearing loss in both ears?

---

My 14 yr. son was diagnosed with mono 2 mnths ago ,with the high fever and swollen lymph nodes. We discovered today that he has significant hearing loss in both ears. Has anyone else experienced a similar problem?
Has he been taking antibiotics? There are some antibiotics that are ototoxic (damaging to the ears). For the life of me, I cannot remember which ones they are. Look up the medicine that he is taking on WebMD or other analogous web site and look up side effects of the antibiotic. Call the doctor if hearing loss is significant or if it worsens. Good Luck  (+ info)

HELP!minimal hearing loss,both ears.High pitch sounds hurt.Sounds like yelling in R ear.Sounds blend together.

---

I was in a MVA 1/20/06. I have minimal/equal hearing loss in both ears. Unclear how long or why. BUT, since accident, (I had a serious concussion from a blow to the head,)it is like someone is shouting in my R ear and it is harder to hear out of my L ear. My ears ring and high pitch noises hurt my ears. The worst part is that when there are several sounds going on at once, the sounds just blend together and I am not able to "hear" words.The noises sound like one. It only takes 2 (or more) competing sounds for this to happen. However, my EEG and BEAR test all came out normal.My doctors are stumped and treat me as though I am making this up for the lawsuit for the accident. This makes me cry. They are not at home with me, watching my two oldest children learning to communicate with me in new ways. They are learning that they can't yell for me, they have to face me to speak to me. Many times I have to make them speak more slowly.Someone out there must be able to help me...us.
The high pitched sounds you describe sound like a condition called "tinnitus". You might get more information if you look for that word, for example with an internet search engine.

Have you seen an Audiologist as well as a Neurologist? If not, it might help as they may be able to give you more information and support.  (+ info)

I dont understand what is sensorineural hearing loss?

---

if someone cant pronounce high pitched sounds, is that a sign of sensorineural hearing loss? lets say that the problem is your spinal organ of corti, which organ is defective? and how do you fix it?
Sensorineural hearing loss is a problem with the auditory nerve. Cochlear implants may be helpful.  (+ info)

Will my new super LOUD muffler contribute to hearing loss over time?

---

Today I just purchased a new cherry popper exhaust system for my 1995 jeep wrangler and it is extremely loud (which is why i got it). Anyways, i just got home and I am hearing a high pitched ringing in my ears. My soft top doesn't drown out the noise at all. Over time will i start to lose my hearing? If so how can this be avoided?
Read this eye opening article on how constant noise (such as driving in a vehicle with a loud muffler) can negatively affect your hearing. The article is more about occupational hazards, but can be applied to daily exposure too. To avoid hearing loss, wear ear protection when in an environment where there is loud noise. You may also want to wear a flack jacket to absorb some of the bullets that your neighbors fire at your Jeep as you pass their house.  (+ info)

---

---

• Home
• Our method
• Usage examples
• Index

• Statistics
• Contact

---