Hearing a real-quick high-pitched electrical pulse

[Propagandhim]

I know everything there is to know about tinnitus by now. 

However, some people say that hearing a quick high-pitched noise in the ear (every now and then) is a universal experience.  Anyone else notice this?

[MrAngryFace]

I get periodic ear rining all the time in my ears. while my hearing is good my ears have had issues of all kinds for years. Now if you were experiencing these noises with sudden vertigo or while feeling light headed then i'd worry.

[CrystalGemini]

Pretty much all the time.  Dizziness too.

[trippingmartian]

Yes. It usually doesn't last for more than 30 seconds and happens very rarely. I've never understood the phrase "ringing in your ears", for me it's always been an almost feedback-like tone.

[Propagandhim]

My hearing is normal according to a couple audiograms..even at ultra-high frequencies (despite listening to loud music).  I feel like i've heard these noises my whole life, but they're a lot louder now that I'm anxious about them.  Still, I can't be sure.

[Propagandhim]

Yes. It usually doesn't last for more than 30 seconds and happens very rarely. I've never understood the phrase "ringing in your ears", for me it's always been an almost feedback-like tone.

According to the Heller and Bergman experiment, 94% of normal-hearing people (I think there were 80+ volunteers) experience tinnitus sounds in an anechoic chamber for 5 minutes.  Ringing is the most popular sound among them.  However, people with noise damage (a loss within the 1khz-8khz range) experience very loud ringing over everything (or other sounds).

[Propagandhim]

Pretty much all the time.  Dizziness too.

I don't wanna freak you out and am not a doctor - but have you looked into Meneire's Disease?  If it doesn't bother you then don't look it up.  Checking out health related websites and message boards is not good.  Fuck, why did I bring this up!

[MrAngryFace]

there's symptoms for everything, just see a doctor

[Propagandhim]

I get periodic ear rining all the time in my ears. while my hearing is good my ears have had issues of all kinds for years. Now if you were experiencing these noises with sudden vertigo or while feeling light headed then i'd worry.

What do you mean by issues?  From what I understand, cochlear damage is identifiable through hearing loss within frequencies testable by an audiogram.  Hyperacusis is less verifiable via audiogram.  I don't think you can have "damage" without an identifiable hearing loss.  I could be very wrong, though.

[MrAngryFace]

i've had episodes of vertigo that last a week, i had chronic ear infections as a child. I mean if you wanna whip out medical books and worry over every symptom, fine by me. Do yourself a favor and look up Anxiety, and you'll find the one thing that can not only exhibit every one of those symptoms, but can be intensified by constant worrying research.

[Propagandhim]

there's symptoms for everything, just see a doctor

After taking a hearing test, he said I could get an MRI, but most likely nothing will show up.  I don't have health insurance, so I didn't go with it.

[Propagandhim]

i've had episodes of vertigo that last a week, i had chronic ear infections as a child. I mean if you wanna whip out medical books and worry over every symptom, fine by me. Do yourself a favor and look up Anxiety, and you'll find the one thing that can not only exhibit those symptoms, but can be intensified by constant worrying research.

True.

[CrystalGemini]

Eh.  Never had ear infections as a kid but have one now.  >_<  The ringing thing is pretty common so I don't really worry about it.  Been getting those since I was a kid so meh.   

[Propagandhim]

Eh.  Never had ear infections as a kid but have one now.  >_<  The ringing thing is pretty common so I don't really worry about it.  Been getting those since I was a kid so meh.   

Same, I think.

[duckman2000]

I get periodic ear rining all the time in my ears. while my hearing is good my ears have had issues of all kinds for years. Now if you were experiencing these noises with sudden vertigo or while feeling light headed then i'd worry.

The biggest reason to worry is if its primarily present on one side. I learned this the hard way, thought for sure it was just because of audio shock (when wearing headsets, I used to keep one side uncovered, so it felt reasonable that the left side would be more damaged), turned out it was something much worse.

[Propagandhim]

I get periodic ear rining all the time in my ears. while my hearing is good my ears have had issues of all kinds for years. Now if you were experiencing these noises with sudden vertigo or while feeling light headed then i'd worry.

The biggest reason to worry is if its primarily present on one side. I learned this the hard way, thought for sure it was just because of audio shock (when wearing headsets, I used to keep one side uncovered, so it felt reasonable that the left side would be more damaged), turned out it was something much worse.

Explain!  Did you take a hearing test?

[duckman2000]

I had tinnitus and some hearing loss for a while, not surprising given my hobbies. Woke up one morning with pretty serious loss of hearing on the left side, which of course made the tinnitus worse (the explanation I got from the neurosurgeon in regards to tinnitus of this sort is that it's basically the brain trying to compensate for hearing loss by adding sound). Took a hearing test some months later, which showed significant hearing loss on that side (much more than I had imagined). The doctor didn't buy my explanation that it could be audio shock, and an MRI revealed a tumor. They caught it a little bit too late, so they had to carve through the inner ear to get it, so I'm deaf on one side now. But the tinnitus is still there.

[Propagandhim]

I had tinnitus and some hearing loss for a while, not surprising given my hobbies. Woke up one morning with pretty serious loss of hearing on the left side, which of course made the tinnitus worse (the explanation I got from the neurosurgeon in regards to tinnitus of this sort is that it's basically the brain trying to compensate for hearing loss by adding sound). Took a hearing test some months later, which showed significant hearing loss on that side (much more than I had imagined). The doctor didn't buy my explanation that it could be audio shock, and an MRI revealed a tumor. They caught it a little bit too late, so they had to carve through the inner ear to get it, so I'm deaf on one side now. But the tinnitus is still there.

Oh wow, man.  You must be tough as nails after all that.  Fuck sakes.

edit: Ah, I just read your thread about it.

[duckman2000]

Losing the hearing wasn't as traumatic as I thought it'd be, as the hearing was basically fucked anyway. There was a type of surgery that could have potentially "preserved" the hearing in the ear, but that involved them moving the brain around, so fuck that; it wouldn't have made the hearing any better than it already was anyway. Retraining balance, however, was a bitch.

The whole thing sucked extra chunks due to me having let myself believe in the best possible scenario. Fuck people and their god damned misguided positivity. 

[Propagandhim]

Sounds like the HIV :'(

It must be because I just got my hearing checked AGAIN today and it's above average.  Someone please tell me I'm not crazy.