High Pitch whistling in ears!

[Nelli]

What causes that high pitched tone we often experience in our ears. I get it at random times, only occasionally! My friends used to tell me that I was picking up radio waves! ;-)

[garcia]

That's tinnitus you're referring to. If I remember correctly it's caused by damage to the fine hairs in your inner ear from prolonged exposure to loud music, screaming girlfriends etc.

[Cetti]

The usual ringing in the ears, or news bells as my mum used to call them is caused by excessive tiredness - it's often accompanied by mild giddyness and all that is needed is more sleep, and not so much rushing around.

Tinnitus is a whole lot nastier - if this worries you go and see your GP just to put your mind at rest.

[Nelli]

Thanks guys! I think it's probably the tiredness, as I get it very rarely! however I do have a history of Exposure to loud music and I am a 'Screaming Girlfriend' myself ;-) ..... and there was me thinking I had a unique gift of tuning into radio waves..... I had plans to develop my talents and eventually work for MI5 listening to peoples' mobile phone calls......never mind!

[molly]

It might just be a build up of earwax. If it is, don't use cotton buds. That will push the wax in further. I once had my ears syringed and it made such a difference.

[Spongebob]

I did once read about an americian who picked up a local radio station on one of his filllings - so maybe a job with M15 is not out of the question (unless your filling is tuned in to Terry Wogan) More likely to be temporary tinnitus though after exposure to loud music. (alcohol can also cause this). Consider it as a warning - one day it may become permenent.

[Nelli]

Thanks SpongeBob :-)