Constant Faint Hiss in Ears

Discussion in 'General Audio Discussion' started by TheIceman93, Mar 28, 2017.

  1. TheIceman93

    TheIceman93 El pato-zorro

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    Anyone else suffer from this?

    I've noticed over the last year that at all times, I hear a very faint hiss in my ears. It sounds very similar to tape hiss. But I only notice if I really listen for it. Its mildly annoying.

    Tinnitus? Electrical noise? Are headphones damaging my hearing?
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2017
  2. Kunlun

    Kunlun cat-alyzes cat-aclysmic cat-erwauling - Friend

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    Oh wow, you hear that? That's the cosmic background hiss of cats disapproving of the big bang (it was loud and scary) GO SEE AN AUDIOLOGIST

    Yes, tinnitus can be high pitched or lower pitched, go have your hearing checked!

    The audiologists I know are always like, "If someone's vision got cloudy they would see a doctor that same week. If it's their hearing, they wait a year..."
     
  3. cskippy

    cskippy Creamy warmpoo

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    Same with me. My hearing is still insanely good but there is a constant low level white noise. Sometimes get ~1kHz tones that will come and go. I think I need to switch to speakers more. I don't even listen loud... average dBSPL 70. :(
     
  4. Rockin_Zombie

    Rockin_Zombie Facebook Friend

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    Sounds like tinnitus to me. Turn the volume down. I get ringing after concerts since last year, sighz.
     
  5. BenjaminBore

    BenjaminBore Friend

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    It's Tinnitus. But the causes are varied. First thing to do is turn the volume down until you've investigated. Something to bare in mind is that we perceive volume 3 or 4 times quieter with headphones, so we're all listening much louder than we realise.

    To rule out some simple issue there two things you should do. Use a dropper to put some olive oil in your ear, keep your head sideways so it doesn't pour out, staying like that for about 10 minutes, then use a tissue to hold to your ear and pour it out. This will start to dissovle any wax build up or impactions. Next get a large bowl and fill it up with hot water (NOT boiling water), then with a towel over your head and the bowl breathe in the steam for 20 minutes, this will encourage your Eustachian tubes to open up.

    If you're still having trouble it's best to get your ears checked by an ENT doctor.
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2017
  6. Azteca

    Azteca Friend

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    God damn it. I really do need to go to one. Same deal - developed a noise floor at some point.
     
  7. Thomas Crown

    Thomas Crown New

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    Same here, not headphone consequence though, I'm a low/moderate volume listener. I had an ear infection and despite the cure, it's still there, it doesn't bother me too much.
     
  8. Serious

    Serious Inquisitive Frequency Response Plot

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    Are you sure that it's not related to something else? Sometimes when I have a mild headache I hear a humming sound and a higher level noise floor. I think at one point that didn't go away for what I think was about half a year and it was related to something else health-wise.
    I also wouldn't be worried that much if it's fairly quiet, but checking with a doctor is obviously never a bad idea. You can hear your muscles twitching and your blood running in your own ears, which might sort of sound similar?
     
  9. TheIceman93

    TheIceman93 El pato-zorro

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    It could possibly be dehydration as well. I frequently get dehydrated which apparently can cause ringing or buzzing in the ears.
     
  10. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

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    Loud listener but same; I've had slight tinnitus since I was in elementary school and used to think everyone had it.

    Lack of sleep and physical fatigue for me.
     
  11. Stuff Jones

    Stuff Jones Friend

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    I've had it as long as I can remember. It sounds like higher frequency carbonation on a freshly poured drink. I can only hear it when it's dead quiet and I listen. I thought I was hearing the sound of the cosmos so I made peace with it.
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2017
  12. Daveheart

    Daveheart Friend

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    I've had tinnitus since I was a kid. I was at a kid's birthday party in first grade, and got pushed off the top of the ladder to the raised floor of a wooden fort that was in his back yard. Unlike most of the similar forts I'd seen that had sandboxes underneath them, this one had a poured concrete slab. That was concussion numero uno for me, and I've had intermittent tinnitus ever since. My tinnitus presents like a high frequency sine wave rather than tape hiss or something like that.
     
  13. Hrodulf

    Hrodulf Prohibited from acting as an MOT until year 2050

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    Yeah, Tinnitus City, Population - you. And plenty of us.

    Go see a doctor, there's a good chance that all you'll be able to do is not make it worse. Mine gets worse with fatigue, dehydration and certain meds. Tinnitus will get worse once you don't have something to focus your auditory apparatus on. It's like your brain is turning up the gain to hear something, even if it isn't there.

    Again - don't make it worse.
     
    Last edited: Mar 29, 2017
  14. landroni

    landroni Friend

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    Same here. With @atomicbob's assistance I recently came up with a levels measuring rig of sorts, and these days my listening levels are at about 72 dBA. Even that is too loud for my preferences most of the times, but especially so with highly compressed music. So while I calibrate to 71-72 dBA, I often find myself dialling the knob down on the amp...

    My ringing incident came with open-back Grados trying to cover up ambient noise (DO NOT do this on intercontinental trips, EVER). This easily tops the shortlist of me dumbest ideas evah...
     
  15. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

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    Caffeine and stress will exacerbate tinnitus as well.
     
  16. landroni

    landroni Friend

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    Like this?
     
  17. Minbeo

    Minbeo New

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    Agreed, for me a big part of tinnitus is psychological, the ringing's always there but i got much much worse whenever i focus on it, keep me in a silent room with nothing to do for weeks is a sure way to make me insane...
    You'll get used to it somehow, keep the volume & your stress level down is always good.
     
  18. Minbeo

    Minbeo New

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    ...sorry double post
     
  19. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    Same for me as others. I've had a concussion in my 30's. Then an ugly incident with iem where I got a blast not knowing the DAP was at 100%. Two days of ringing after that which comes and goes now. Sinus is a big key for me. If I manage sinus problems with flownase and allergy tabs, then I don't have much trouble with ringing.
     
  20. Muse Wanderer

    Muse Wanderer Friend

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    Evidence suggests that tinnitus at mild levels is heard by most people even young persons with perfect non damaged hearing. This physiological ringing comes out when someone is put in perfect silence.

    John Cage, a composer keenly interested in sound and silence, once locked himself in an anechoic chamber. He described what happened next as silence was transformed into ringing alarm sound. The normal brain filtering mehanisms might kind of increase the gain to compensate for silence as it is inherently unnatural to live in a silent world.

    In my experience I had tinnitus after exposure to loud sounds that was short lived. Tinnitus was also related to significant stress, very high doses of vitamin C (an acidic vitamin that in high doses can affect the cochlea - this surprised even my audiologist!), and when caring for my 110db crying babies on my shoulder.

    My last episode was 2 years ago when I used etymotic flange tips inserted so deep inside my 'skull' that hardened wax built up on the ear drum. I lost some hearing in the 4k region and had dreadful ringing. After several months I realised it was simply wax related and everything came to normal once I dissolved the wax with bicarb and olive oil.

    Now protective ear plugs, frequent breaks from music listening and avoidance of deep tips help stem resurgence of the hiss. Prevention is definitely better than cure in this case.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2017

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