What Makes Your Ears Ring?

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What’s happening inside our ears when we can hear that ringing? What’s happening inside our brains? Sit back, clean the wax out of your ears, and let Michael Aranda explain!
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Sources:
http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/ask/?quid=119
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Womens_Health_Watch/2011/September/tinnitus-ringing-in-the-ears-and-what-to-do-about-it
http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/human-nature/perception/hearing4.htm
http://health.howstuffworks.com/human-body/systems/ear/loud-noise-ear.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tinnitus/basics/causes/con-20021487
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sound_wave.jpg

Comments

Rohith Kumar says:

is it me or everyone else hear this extremely annoying at night times?
because everything’s silent and this is all i hear night time , should i be
worried or is it common ? 

Huskies Plays says:

When I’m around old electronics, a charger that’s working but askew, or
some lightbulbs, I hear a soft but very high pitched drone. Is that normal
or is that bad? 

RomanImperialXII says:

So “my” tinnitus is the kind of one that never stops…
So that means that there’s no way to fix this?…


Fuck my life.

stiimuli says:

There seems to be a few different sounds involved here:

1) is an occasional, sudden and somewhat loud ringing in one ear that only
lasts a few seconds and seems to come out of nowhere, like a very high
frequency muscle spasm.

2) is the sudden muffled ringing caused by an excessively loud noise, like
your ears are screaming “HOLY CRAP THAT HURT!!!!” In recent years Hollywood
has learned to add a simulation of this phenomena into scenes just after
punctuated explosions and similar loud events to add realism.

3) is the soft steady hiss heard in both ears when everything is really
quiet (I think its the ambient sound of blood flow around the ear)

4) is a louder constant ringing/hissing acquired after hearing damage that
apparently never goes away. This seems to be what is being referred to in
the video. My mother has this and it makes it very difficult for her to
discern speech even if you’re talking right next to her.

Damien Vryce says:

Tinnitus is a serious condition, I’ve been suffering it for the past 2
years and it’s annoying as hell – all bc I abused my poor ears. Your brain
kinda tunes it out over time but still, you’ll never experience silence
again. So rly guys, listen to Michael and keep it safe, lower the volume on
your earphones/speakers and keep the music shows to at least once a month
or something. As a sufferer I don’t wish this to anyone.

LimeGreenTeknii says:

Tinnitus isn’t common? I thought pretty much everyone over a certain age
was bound to have it at some point. I thought most people could hear it at
night when it’s really quiet.

Zakkai says:

my ear started ringing during this video 0_0

DrunkYouTube says:

I have had this problem for years, over a decade at least (since my teens
at least maybe longer) and it seems to be identical to the same sound as a
tube (old style) TV being on. I used to think I had some weird super power
where I could tell if a TV was on in the house lol. It doesn’t bother me
often, unless a tube TV is muted or I’m particularly restless. I just hope
it doesn’t get worse…

Dahxelb says:

I have to admit.. I had to get used to this guy instead of hank.. but i’ll
have to admit again.. i’m starting to like this dude more and more and more
🙂 Keep on hosting and continue doing your awesome job! 

Mike The Gamer says:

IS this the same thing as when I hear a tone in one ear for a few seconds?
Also, can anyone else tell when a Tv is on when not in the room and the
volume is on mute?

zezemtheplayer says:

does anyone’s ear ring when it is completely quiet?

keyreper says:

Just wondering, how loud would your headphones need to be in order to do
this type of damage? i usually try to keep the volume down on my headset in
order to keep this from happening but it happens regardless.

mikemorr100 says:

What makes your ears ring? In my case it was an AK-47 next to my ear.
Didn’t realize my ear plugs fell out. They are still ringing after 3 days

Steven Woodard says:

Thanks for the good news. Learned my lesson 2 days ago and now I have a
tiny low frequency ear ringing . I can hear everything still clearly and
it’s not severe just a tiny impulse because I was out learning how to shoot
and didn’t think of earplugs . But I’m very glad to hear still and knowing
it’s not severe to where it is irritating. How long does it take to repair
itself? Hope it’s a few days. But again it’s not bad at all. 

Noelia Killjoy says:

what if your ears ring but not very often? i mean it just happens and then
goes away after a while (?)

Dorain DeVille says:

I was in Artillery (USMC ’94-98) so thanks to those super loud cannons I
have the gift of tinnitus.

Chris Petersen says:

I didn’t even know this wasn’t normal (or even “a thing”) until my 20s when
NPR did a story on tinnitus. Strange that no one ever mentioned it in
those hearing tests they give you in grade school, since I often commented
that the tests were at the same frequency as the ringing in my ears.

It’s definitely a weird sensation, though (even after living with it for as
long as I can remember, probably caused by a few bad ear infections as a
kid, combined with family genetics). In a quiet room, the ringing can be
so loud it borders on painful, but I can still hear something as quiet as a
dropped pin in the next room.

Skyninjakiller says:

My friends and my ears started ringing when we crossed a front lawn?

morten stroe says:

QQ: what maket people want to know how things work

Tad the Rad says:

I have the tinnitus that never stops as well as visual snow. If you guys
haven’t done a video on visual snow do you think you could??

Mateo Rios says:

Sometimes I have this happen to me, except its so loud it hurts. It only
happens occasionally but it is bad! It actually happens in quiet
environments more often than loud.

Jens Nielsen says:

I have this thing where, occasionally, all sound in one of my ears
disappears and is replaced by a loud ringing noise as if I was smacked on
my ear with a flat hand (sounds kinda like how a grenade explosion sounds
in a movie – just without the bang, but with the loss of hearing + ringing
noise). After a short while, the ringing noise goes away and my hearing
comes back. Any idea what that might be? It seems to be random and it never
comes from me hurting myself or anything.

LynneSkysong says:

So, I’ve have Tinnitus still I can remember. After watching this, I’m
wondering if the ear infections I had as a kid are the reason for it. The
good news is that 1) I usually only notice it when it’s REALLY quiet and 2)
I’m 27 and can still hear all those loud high pitch noises that some
electronics make (~18-19Hz).

Also, this was posted almost 2 weeks ago… don’t y’all usually make these
public by now?

Steve Burdette says:

Question for the SciShow team: Why do humans have an innate love for music
and rhythm but almost no other animals respond to it?

Kaytehh says:

The tinnitus I have is permanent. When I was REALLY young, I had chronic
ear infections and had to have tubes put in my ears. The doctor evidently
told mom that I might have tinnitus, and I never found out that the ringing
I heard was weird until I asked my sister if she was bothered by “that
stupid, constant ringing noise at night” like I was.
The weirdest part of it all is that I HATE silence now.
I had a few minutes where my tinnitus was gone (I was sick, and I think my
ears were blocked? Not sure.) and I absolutely hated it.
I literally can’t stand NOT having that background noise now.

kowalityjesus says:

FOR GOODNESS SAKE WEAR EARPLUGS!!!!!!!!!!!

max thepony says:

i sort of have tinitus i guess, but its very quiet but it sounds like that

Funnyz.com says:

i get that too but for no reason there is no loud noises around me

Narsuaq says:

I was born with Tinnitus 20 years ago. It never used to bother me, but when
I found out it wasn’t a normal thing, I started to have some major anxiety
about it. I do have a question though. When I drink alcohol and I get it a
bit “merry”, my tinnitus is seriously amplified. It’s hard to hear normal
sounds over it. Is there an explanation for this? 

Jonathan Hamstad says:

Got it all the time, sometimes I can’t even sleep

Isaiah Pride says:

I don’t have tinnitus, but occasionally, like every couple months, my ears
ring for like 10 seconds and then it stops.

illdiewithoutpi says:

If the interior of our body is supposed to be 98 degrees (Fahrenheit), why
does 98 degrees feel so hot?

Sarah McDonald says:

Sometimes I think it’s ringing when it really isn’t and this makes it
happen all the time. I hate this 

Ghost81 says:

I’d like to hear supporters of intelligent design defend this one.

Yaphet Paulos says:

and iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Christian Bell says:

Why do magnets work deeper than the field 

KeKe00X says:

I have had tinnitus my entire life in my right ear. I also have been slowly
been losing hearing in that ear. I have never been around loud sounds,
never been to a concert, didnt like the volume on the tv or computer too
loud. I dont know why I have it. Could my tinnitus and hearing loss be
connected somehow?

Mark Woodbury says:

turn up the volume please

Just Another says:

I have chronic tinnitus, and it really does suck. I lose many nights of
sleep to it and it’s been enough to drive me pretty deep into depression.
If you guys happen to have any habits that can damage ears ( i.e. listening
to headphones too loud ) I’d recommend dropping it.

heatherwanderer777 says:

Does anyone else find him cute? Like not, “I want to date you cute”, but
“wow, I bet you’d make an awesome friend you’re so cute”

Lord Draonic says:

At random moments, I get this ringing noise in my ears. Usually when it’s
quietest. MY HAIR CELLS NO LIKE QUIET.

Zombieknifefight says:

Okay, question

What is going on in the brain when someone is born with Multiple
personality disorder, or when someone gets Multiple personality disorder.
kinda intrested in this since it seems the brain has created more the one
personality. kinda amazing in my opinion but i would like to know what is
happening in the brain

James Hoffman says:

I hate the way you say tinnitus more than Halifax is sick of the way you
pronounce “banal”

Depressed Fluttershy says:

That happens to me especially in a QUIET room. No sounds at all.

TheBoss2288 says:

Oh shyt, i play loud music in earphones to get pumped in gym and when im
done i hear ringing sound o.o

Cynori says:

why doesn’t nervous tissue grow back?

Hirobian says:

*Hypothetically sues school for forcing children to be in a gymnasium with
extremely uncomfortable loud music.* I’m pretty sure most of my tinnitus is
due to the multiple times I was forced to stay in an exceptionally loud
gymnasium with the giant speakers turned way to frigging loud. Even if I
covered up my ears with my hands for half an hour receiving alienating
stares by the common prejudicial student, my sensitive ears still have
permanent damage to this day and I’m only 20 yrs old for Christs sake. *Rant
rant rant*

Ragging penguins says:

I do we appear upside down when you look into a spoon

Austin Wiegand says:

Suppose I should consider myself lucky after all those years of drumming.
Only get the ringing maybe once a month, and it’s fairly short-lived.
Though I do tend to have a hard time understanding people with any kind of
din going on; I never did get good at lip reading.

Someone says:

I nearly threw my phone across the room at 1:53 -_- 

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