What Causes Ringing In Your Ears
“Hearing a continuous ringing in your ears is almost always a side effect of hearing loss, typically an early indication of it,” says Dr. Vrabec. “Hearing loss happens in your ears, but the resulting ringing you may hear as a result does not. It’s happening in your brain.”
Your brain plays an integral role in hearing making sense of the sounds around you by processing the information received from your ears. It helps you focus on the most relevant sounds you’re hearing, distinguishing these from background sounds and filtering out unwanted noise.
As you can imagine, this is a busy job for your brain.
Hearing loss reduces the amount of sound your brain has to interpret, giving it less to do. Tinnitus is one unwanted consequence.
“When your auditory cortex the part of your brain responsible for hearing is bored, it starts looking for something to do, some sound to interpret,” explains Dr. Vrabec. “Tinnitus occurs as a consequence of that, and it’s essentially the result of your brain reacting to hearing loss. Since the input to your brain has changed, your brain begins to misinterpret what’s actually there, resulting in the perception of other sounds, namely ringing.”
This is why people often hear the ringing in both ears and sometimes can’t pinpoint where exactly the sound is coming from.
Does The Number Of Rings Mean Anything
Yep. The frequency of the ringing matters just as much as whether youre hearing it in the right or left ear. When you first notice the ringing, pay attention to how often this event occurs. Try to compare the sounds of each ringing session do they seem the same? The more frequent the occurrence, the more urgent the message and the more you should take note.
Do you experience ringing in the ears and you dont have a medical condition? Think theres a spiritual connection? Let me know in the comments.
With love and light,
Recommended Reading: Witch Hazel For Ear Infection
What Is The Spiritual Meaning Behind Left
Whether it happens to us personally or we hear about these things from our family/friends, these experiences may not make too much sense.
RELATED: 9 Signs Youre Spiritually Ready To Be In A Relationship
Although these happenings do not seem important enough to question, it is worth the deep dive into understanding what ringing in the ear could mean spiritually.
When I was a kid, the one oddity that stuck out to me most was when my left or right ear would begin to ring.
My friends would say the ringing was caused by someone in the distance talking about me. My mom would say the ringing meant that I had a nasty ear infection again.
Not only did I believe both of these assumptions, but I mostly began to question whether or not someone actually was talking about me. And, why would my ear be ringing because of it?
Alas, I never found the answers to my many questions. However, upon stumbling across hundreds of online articles describing what your ringing ears meant, I was surprised to find the results.
Ringing in your left ear has multiple meanings, especially spiritually.
RELATED: What Spirit Animal Your Zodiac Sign Identifies With The Most, Per Astrology
The next time you hear a ringing noise in your left ear, count the number of times you hear it in a day/week.
The most common belief of these events is that your guardian angel is trying to come into contact with you.
I know what youre thinking: what do they have to say to me? And why is my ear ringing because of it?!
Don’t Miss: How To Sign Learn In Sign Language
Can I Do Anything To Prevent Tinnitus Or Keep It From Getting Worse
Noise-induced hearing loss, the result of damage to the sensory hair cells of the inner ear, is one of the most common causes of tinnitus. Anything you can do to limit your exposure to loud noiseby moving away from the sound, turning down the volume, or wearing earplugs or earmuffswill help prevent tinnitus or keep it from getting worse.
Medications That Cause Tinnitus
The most common drugs known to cause tinnitus are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , diuretics, certain antibiotics and cancer drugs, and the malaria drug quinine. But many others can cause tinnitus, too. If you experience tinnitus after starting any new medication, or changing a dosage, discuss it right away with your pharmacist or physician to determine if you should stop, reduce, or change the medications you are currently taking.
Did you know? One of the most common drugs known to cause tinnitus is aspirin, especially when taken in high doses.
Read Also: Can A Toothache Cause Hearing Loss
What Does It Mean When Your Ears Ring
The medical causes of ringing in the ears are very well documented, but very few people talk about the meaning of this condition.
What I uncovered in my research is that there are 3 possible spiritual meanings. In order to better understand what message your guardian angel is trying to send you, youll need to gather more information.
First, identify whether you are experiencing ringing in your left ear, right ear, or both. Next, pay attention to how frequently it happens and how long the ringing lasts.
Finally, notice the sounds you hear. Is the ringing high-pitched or a muffled buzzing sound?
Each of these symptoms can change the spiritual meaning for better or worse. Also, keep in mind that you could be receiving different types of spiritual messages if you hear ringing in your left or right ear.
Left ear ringing is associated with messages about your life on Earth. In contrast, right ear ringing is said to be a message from God or someone you know in Heaven.
Heres what it means when your ears ring:
What Could Be Causing Random Brief Ear Ringing And What Can You Do About It
Brain Inflammation
Brain inflammation in the auditory nerve is a very common cause of Tinnitus. Most people think that ear ringing is a problem with their ears. But, its usually a problem in the brain. This is the reason why only you hear the ringing and not others. Its being invented in your brain and not your ears.
What can you do?
If your Tinnitus is caused by brain inflammation, thisnatural supplement has a 90% chance of resolving Tinnitusfor you. Its made up of natural ingredients that are meant to help heal inflammation and also calm an overstimulated auditory nerve.
Hearing Loss Caused by Loud noise exposure or Aging
Have you noticed a pattern as to when you get a random ringing in your ears? Does it come on after you have listened to loud music? Or, does it maybe come on after you have used earphones or headphones? Most people can tolerate fairly loud music without having their ears affected. But, if you are like any of the 50 million Americans who suffer from Tinnitus, it probably means that your ears are sensitive.
When theres hearing loss, your brain begins to compensate for the lack of signals from these damaged or dead hair cells, inventing a ringing, hissing or crackling sound that you hear for a few seconds, now and then.
Natural aging can also cause hearing loss that can then cause the brief ringing that comes and goes.
What can you do?
Ear Wax Problems
Your brain again begins to invent sounds to make up for the lack of auditory inputs.
What can you do?
Also Check: How Do You Know If Your Stretched Ears Are Infected
Why Do I Get Ringing In My Ears Randomly
It is common for tinnitus to be caused by an underlying ailment, such as age-related hearing loss, an ear injury, or a disorder of the circulatory system. A large number of patients find that therapy of the underlying cause, as well as various therapies that diminish or mask noise, make tinnitus less visible, help to alleviate their symptoms.
Is There A Difference In Meaning For Ringing In Left Or Right Ear
In spirituality, ringing in the left ear normally represents messages about the physical world.
It reflects your internal energy and the energy of the things and people around you.
If you are experiencing ringing in your left ear, look at the space around you and the people that are in your life.
If it is a high-pitched ringing sound, this is often seen as a sign that good fortune is on your way.
However, if the ringing sounds low-pitched it reflects the negative energy that is in your space right now.
Ringing in the right ear means that you are getting messages from the universe and higher realms.
If you are experiencing ringing in your right ear, this is often a message from an angel or a higher spirit.
Ringing in the right ear suggests that you are developing your psychic abilities and connecting to the universe in a new and exciting way.
Recommended Reading: How Often Should You Change Hearing Aid Batteries
Why Do My Ears Keep Ringing
If youve ever been to a loud concert then chances are good that youve dealt with ear ringing afterward however, if youre experiencing ringing in the ears regularly and symptoms seem to appear out of the blue, then you could have a condition known as tinnitus.
Tinnitus is the result of damage to hair cells within the inner ear. Tinnitus is most often characterized as a ringing in the ear, but others may hear a clicking, hissing, or whizzing sound. You may hear it in one ear or both and sometimes it can be loud.
While tinnitus isnt dangerous it can certainly be annoying, especially if its loud or happening regularly. If symptoms are severe it may even affect your quality of life.
What causes tinnitus?Along with exposure to loud noises , there are other causes of tinnitus including:
- A head injury
- Impacted wax or wax buildup
- Caffeine
- Menieres disease
- Certain medications
Can tinnitus be cured?If tinnitus is the result of something simple like caffeine or impacted wax, then simply remove the wax or eliminate caffeine from your diet. Sometimes tinnitus will simply go away on its own.
Even though there isnt anything that can cure tinnitus, your ENT doctor can provide you with a variety of treatment options to make living with tinnitus easier, such as:
If you are concerned about ringing ears, dizziness, or other problems affecting your ear health, then call an ENT specialist to find out whats going on and how to best treat it.
Exposure To Loud Sounds
Ever wonder why your ears ring randomly after a concert?
Here’s why: “Exposure to loud sound can cause damage to the hair cells in your inner ear,” Dr. Damask says. “These hair cells then ‘leak’ random electrical impulses to your brain, which then cause tinnitus.”
People who work in a noisy environment or those who frequently use deafeningly loud equipment have a greater risk for hearing loss and subsequent development of tinnitus, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Fix it: To reduce the ringing , wear hearing protection like foam ear plugs or earmuff-style headsets when exposed to loud noise, Dr. Damask says.
Recommended Reading: How To Use Helichrysum Oil For Hearing Loss
What Research Does The Nidcd Support On Sudden Deafness
Since so little is known about the causes of most cases of SSHL, researchers are considering different types, risk factors, and causes of SSHL. For instance, researchers are studying how changes in the inner ear, such as disrupted blood flow or inflammation, may contribute to hearing loss. Researchers are also testing new ways to use imaging to help diagnose SSHL and potentially detect its causes.
NIDCD-funded researchers are also trying to improve ways of dispensing drugs into the inner ear by intratympanic injections. Scientists are developing ways to infuse drugs into tiny microspheres that can slowly release the drug. This would allow doctors to give a single injection of a slow-releasing drug into the ear rather than several injections of a traditional fast-releasing drug. Another team of scientists is studying the use of magnets to push drug-infused particles into and throughout the inner ear, distributing the drug more evenly and effectively. Visit the NIH Clinical Research Trials and You website to read about these and other clinical trials that are recruiting volunteers.
Changes In Blood Flow
Changes in blood flow, such as high blood pressure or anemia, can cause ear ringing. Sometimes changes in blood flow can cause a type of ear ringing called pulsatile tinnitus, which has the sensation of your heart beating in your ears. Less commonly, pulsatile tinnitus can also be caused by tumors in or around the ear.
Recommended Reading: How To Keep Ear Wax From Building Up
When Should I Worry About Ringing In My Ears
“Why do I hear ringing in my ears?”
It’s a concerning question to ask yourself.
If you hear ringing in your ears more often than not, you know just how bothersome or distracting this noise can be. And that it’s distinctly different from those random, phantom sounds you might have heard on rare occasions after standing up too fast or while dealing with a headache.
“Hearing continuous sound in one or both of your ears is called tinnitus,” says Dr. Jeffrey Vrabec, an ENT doctor specializing in neurotology at Houston Methodist. “It’s most often described as a ringing, but people can hear tinnitus differently.”
The common descriptions of what tinnitus sounds like include:
- Low- or high-pitched tone
- Humming
- Cricket-like sounds
“Tinnitus can vary over time, sometimes becoming fairly disruptive and even debilitating,” says Dr. Vrabec. “If it’s the most important thing you think about and it’s keeping you from carrying out or enjoying daily activities, it’s certainly time to do something about it.”
Sudden Hearing Loss In One Ear
Contributed by Joy Victory, managing editor, Healthy HearingLast updated June 11, 20212021-06-11T00:00:00-05:00
If you or a loved one has suddenly developed hearing loss, see your doctor right away. While often downplayed as not serious, any new or sudden hearing loss should be taken seriously by you and your healthcare providers. Why? The sooner you get a thorough audiological workup, the better your chances are for a full recovery.
Sudden hearing loss usually only affects one ear, and for those who dont get better, permanent single-sided deafness can be the outcome. This kind of hearing loss, also known as unilateral hearing loss, presents unique problems, such as the inability to know where sounds are coming from, and something known as the head shadow effect. In some cases, a person will still have some hearing ability left, which can be amplified with a hearing aid.
Recommended Reading: What Happens If A Middle Ear Infection Goes Untreated
Coping With Tinnitus Spikes: Focus On What You Can Control
So what exactly should you do to cope when your tinnitus is spiking?
To understand what you have the power to control during spikes, you first need to understand what you cant change or control. Most tinnitus sufferers cannot change the volume of their tinnitus in any meaningful way when its spiking, nor can they ignore the sound by force of will alone.
Trying to actively ignore a sensory perception is an act of giving it attention. Heres a quick example: Whatever you do, do not think about, or pay attention to the feeling of the collar of your shirt against your neck.
You couldnt help it, could you?
You also cant control how long a spike is going to last, or the emotions and thoughts that arise as its happening. The thoughts and emotions will flood in, and you cant always just think your way out of it.
When To See Your Gp
You should see your GP if you continually or regularly hear sounds such as buzzing, ringing or humming in your ears.
They can examine your ears to see if the problem might be caused by a condition they could easily treat, such as an ear infection or earwax build-up. They can also do some simple checks to see if you have any hearing loss.
If necessary, your GP can refer you to a hospital specialist for further tests and treatment.
Read more about diagnosing tinnitus.
Recommended Reading: What Does Middle Finger Mean In Sign Language
Hearing Loss And Exposure To Loud Noises
Hearing loss can cause tinnitus whether due to age, exposure to loud noises, or trauma. This happens because of damaged auditory receptors in the inner ear called hair cells. Hair cells transmit electrical signals to our brains, which is how we process and perceive sound. When these hair cells are damaged, they can send fake noise signals to the brain.
What Other Symptoms Come With Ringing Ears
In addition to the ringing in the ears, there are also other symptoms or feelings that can happen.
This varies enormously depending on the person. Some people report an increase in feelings of empathy and compassion.
Others state they feel something like a buzz around the crown chakra .
Some of the more negative physical symptoms can include dizziness, nausea, tension headaches, tingling around the head and face, and a disruption in sleep patterns.
Remember, if you notice any pain related to ringing in the ears, you should absolutely seek out medical help to verify that there isnt a more obvious physical cause to your symptoms.
Recommended Reading: Can You Clean Your Ear Piercing With Salt Water
Why Spikes Are Unavoidable
The first thing you need to understand is that if your tinnitus is spiking, you havent done anything wrong, and you also havent erased any progress youve made if youve been working to habituate.
Your progress is only ever on hold in these moments, though it will almost always feel like youve taken many steps backward.
Here is a helpful analogy to better understand why this occurs.
Ever since I was diagnosed with Menieres disease and tinnitus, Ive made personal growth and development a priority. Ive been in therapy for years, I read constantly, I meditate and exercise daily, and Im of service to others. I actively try to improve myself on a daily basis, and I like to think that its reflected in the way I act around my friends and colleagues.
But then Ill go to visit my parents and brothers in my childhood home, and if we all get into an argument at dinner and everyone starts getting on my case about something unimportant, Ill suddenly feel like Im 13 years old. Its as if all my years of hard work on myself just flies out the window as I react emotionally, and we all yell over one another.