Why Do You Hear Tones In Your Ear?

Ever drive around in a car, walk, or just sit on the couch watching T.V. and all of a sudden you hear a low tone, or a ringing in your ear? There's a reason for that.

I always heard the myth that it's because the hearing test they used to give right before kindergarten where you have a pair of headphones on and they play tones in your left and right ear and you have to raise which hand that you hear the tone on, screws your brain up so you'll hear tones for the rest of your life. But there is an explanation.

It's called Tinnitus, or as we all have heard it called, "ringing in the ear."

Others describe their ear noise as roaring, rushing, hissing, chirping, beeping, buzzing, whistling, or clicking. The sound might be high-pitched, low-pitched, or multi-toned, or it might sound like static. It might seem to be in one ear, both ears, or inside the head. The sound might be constant, or it might come and go. It might be just barely noticeable, or it might seem screamingly loud.

Does any of these sound familiar to you? I work at a radio station, and I know for a fact that I blast my headphones too high. I say "What" if someone asks me a question. Some concerts that I go to, the next day is a ringing ear mess.

Tinnitus is a symptom, not a disease, and there is no cure. Even in some cases where the auditory nerves have been severed (during the removal of a tumor from the inner ear, for example), so that the patient loses all physical hearing, tinnitus can persist.

So be careful, because prolonged exposure to loud noise can cause permanent hearing loss. Hmm?! What?!