Odd Problem with Hearing (doctor, eye, specialist, nerve)

[BadJuju]

On occasion, the hearing in one ear will deafen dramatically and I will simply hear a buzzing. This lasts for up to a minute, but generally less than thirty seconds. And it only affects one ear at a time. There doesn't appear to be anything that precedes it. This has been happening for as long as I can remember. What is happening?

[AnonChick]

It's called tinnitus. There are a few different causes of it:

1. hearing loss: people who have significant hearing loss, are likely to have tinnitus. Not all do, but it's pretty common.
2. exposure to loud noises: go to a rock concert, leave it with your ears buzzing. Same with chainsaws and ball peen hammers. It is a side effect of damage to the ears.
3. Meniere's disease: an inner ear disorder
4. Regular aspirin use: some people experience this as a side effect of taking aspirin daily.
5. Random no particular reason: a few people just experience this once in awhile, for no discernable reason. Not very common, and not frequent. But you are likely to find people who say "hey that happened to me a couple of times, just showed up, went away, just like that, never did figure out why."

If you find it is happening more often, or during/after some specific activities that you notice, or is occurring with a pattern of frequency, you should have your hearing tested by an ENT doctor (not a hearing aid specialist, an actual doctor).

If it's just once in a blue moon and you can't find any sort of pattern to it, and it's not really bothering you but is more a "huh - how about that" moment, just pretend it's the aliens sending homing signals to your brain. It'll lighten your mood

[BadJuju]

I am going to assume it is #5 since I do not have tinnitus or any of the others. Thank you.

[AnonChick]

It's called tinnitus, regardless of the reason for having it, or the frequency. If you're not having auditory hallucinations, and the noises aren't really happening outside your own head, then it's called tinnitus.

#5 is one of the -causes- of it - which, in the case of #5, is a non-cause. Just a random occurrence.

The way you describe the frequency (on occasion) and the window of time (years) I would really suggest you get your hearing tested. It's very possible you have some nerve damage and hearing loss that you're not even aware of. People who get hearing loss over a long period of time have a tough time even realizing that there's a loss at all.

[BadJuju]

That wouldn't really make much sense, though. I have had this problem since I was a child. Also, I had a hearing test last year as part of a physical and I scored exceptionally well on it. I don't have ringing in my ears or anything else outside of what I described in the original post.

[AnonChick]

I'll say it again: get to an ENT, and have your hearing tested. What you describe IS tinnitus. The audiotesting done as part of a physical is not comprehensive. It's no different from looking at an eye chart and reading the numbers, and calling that an eye exam. You need a comprehensive audio test done by an ENT to find out -why- you are experiencing the buzzing.

Unless you really don't care about it, in which case, you don't have to do anything at all. I had the buzzing on and off all my life. It wasn't until my mom's complaints that I didn't listen to her got bad enough, that she had me get a *comprehensive* audio exam and they discovered that I had nerve damage, and was probably born with it, and that it was progressive.