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Hi,
Thank you for the question. Just wanted to offer some help.
I recently started hearing a high-pitched ringing in my ears (to the point that I wasn't able to concentrate in quiet areas). I went to an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat doctor) who told me it was tinnitus and just to "deal with it," that it was genetic (my father has tinnitus as well) and would get worse with age (and that I should get used to the idea of hearing aides in 10 years or so).
Because I am so young (25 years old) I decided to get a second opinion and ended up going to the Mayo Clinic to see a hearing specialist. I was told that I had Otosclerosis (abnormal growth of a bone in my inner ear) that was causing the ringing and high-frequency hearing loss. This caused my eardrums to not respond normally to sounds.
He told me as I get older, I can opt for surgery as the ringing progresses. I encourage you to sign up on the site and explore our resources and groups around tinnitus. Once you sign up, feel free to message me. I would love to direct you to some other resources on the site (groups, articles, etc). Here is a great article to get you started: https://www.empowher.com/ringing-ears/content/tinnitus-ringing-all-your-...
May 15, 2013 - 12:42pmThis Comment
Hello Anonymous,
Ringing in the ears that does not get better or go away is called tinnitus. There are two types of tinnitus:
Pulsatile: like a heartbeat It is often caused by sounds created by muscle movements near the ear, changes in the ear canal, or blood flow (vascular) problems in the face or neck. You may hear sounds such as your own pulse or the contractions of your muscles.
Nonpulsatile tinnitus is caused by problems in the nerves involved with hearing. You may hear sounds in one or both ears. Sometimes this type of tinnitus is described as coming from inside the head.
The most common cause of tinnitus is hearing loss that occurs with aging, but it can also be caused by living or working around loud noises. Other possible causes include a buildup of earwax, the side effect of certain medications, particularly antibiotics or large amounts of aspirin, drinking an excessive amount of alcohol or caffeinated beverages, ear infections or eardrum rupture, and dental or other problems affecting the mouth.
Since this is persistent, you might consider mentioning it to your physician.
Maryann
May 15, 2013 - 6:04amThis Comment