Does Ringing in Ears Mean Someone is Thinking of You? Tinnitus Causes and Treatments

What Is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the perception of noise or ringing in the ears. It's a common condition that affects about 15 to 20 percent of people. Tinnitus isn't a condition itself it's a symptom of an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, ear injury or a circulatory system disorder. Although bothersome, tinnitus usually isn't a sign of something serious.

Although it can worsen with age, for many people, tinnitus can improve with treatment. Treating an identified underlying cause sometimes helps. Other treatments reduce or mask the noise, making tinnitus less noticeable.

Signs and Symptoms of Tinnitus

Tinnitus involves the annoying sensation of hearing sound when no external sound is present. Tinnitus symptoms may include these types of phantom noises in your ears:

• Ringing
• Buzzing
• Roaring
• Clicking
• Hissing

The pitch can be high or low and may be continuous or intermittent. In some people, the intensity can be changed by shoulder, head, tongue, jaw or eye movements.

Most people with chronic tinnitus hear a faint background sound as if they had water in their ears. For some, tinnitus is more bothersome at night, when it's quieter.

The affected person may hear a simple, single tone or multiple complex sounds that may be difficult to characterize. The sound may be soft or loud and appear to originate from one or both ears, from inside the head, or be difficult to pinpoint.

Other symptoms associated with tinnitus may include:

• Hearing loss
• Fullness or pain in the ear

Causes of Tinnitus

Underlying conditions that can cause tinnitus include:

• Age-related hearing loss. As you age, the number of functioning nerve fibers in your ears declines, possibly causing hearing problems often associated with tinnitus.
• Exposure to loud noise. Loud noises, such as those from heavy equipment, chain saws and firearms, are common sources of noise-related hearing loss. Portable music devices, such as MP3 players or iPods, also can cause noise-related hearing loss if played loudly for long periods. Tinnitus caused by short-term exposure, such as attending a loud concert, usually goes away; both short- and long-term exposure to loud sound can cause permanent damage.
• Earwax blockage. Earwax protects your ear canal by trapping dirt and slowing the growth of bacteria. When too much earwax accumulates, it becomes too hard to wash away naturally, causing hearing loss or irritation of the eardrum, which can lead to tinnitus.
• Ear bone changes. Stiffening of the bones in your middle ear (otosclerosis) may affect your hearing and cause tinnitus.

Other causes of tinnitus include:

• Meniere's disease
• TMJ disorders
• Head injuries or neck injuries
• Acoustic neuroma (a tumor that develops on the cranial nerve that runs from your brain to your inner ear)
• Blood vessel disorders linked to tinnitus include atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, vascular problems near the ear, and turbulent blood flow

Some medications, including certain antibiotics, cancer medications, water pills, quinine medications and certain antidepressants may worsen tinnitus.

A common cause of tinnitus is inner ear hair cell damage. Tiny, delicate hairs in your inner ear move in relation to the pressure of sound waves. This triggers ear cells to release an electrical signal through a nerve from your ear (auditory nerve) to your brain. Your brain interprets these signals as sound. If the hairs inside your inner ear are bent or broken, they can "leak" random electrical impulses to your brain, causing tinnitus.

Risk Factors for Tinnitus

Factors that may increase your risk of tinnitus include:

• Being male. Men are more likely to experience tinnitus.
• Being older. The risk increases with age.
• Smoking. Smokers have a higher risk of developing tinnitus.
• Having cardiovascular problems. Conditions that affect blood flow, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, can increase the risk.

Does Ringing in the Ears Mean Someone is Thinking About You?

There is an old superstition that if your ears are ringing, it means someone is talking about you. However, there is no scientific evidence to support this claim.

The sensation of ringing in the ears, or tinnitus, has a physical cause related to the functioning of the auditory system. It is not related to any external psychic or paranormal phenomenon. A few common causes of tinnitus include:

• Hearing loss
• Earwax buildup
• Ear bone changes
• Exposure to loud noises
• Stress and fatigue
• Sinus infections
• Certain medications

So while it can sometimes feel like a weird coincidence when your ears start ringing right as you're thinking of someone, the two events are completely unrelated physiologically. The ringing only indicates something going on in your own auditory system.

Of course, there's nothing wrong with being amused by the timing or viewing it as a reminder to reach out to someone on your mind. As long as you understand it's just coincidence, there's no harm in a little magical thinking now and then.

Where the Superstition Comes From

No one knows exactly where the superstition originated, but some theories include:

• Before telephones, it was thought ringing or noises in the ears might be a spiritual or psychic connection trying to communicate with you.
• Physiologically, people sometimes experience spontaneous ringing in the ears during times of silence, when thoughts are louder. This may have led to associating it with hearing someone's thoughts.
• People experiencing grief or missing someone with all their heart may have attributed random ear ringing to their lost loved one reaching out.

While these explain how the superstition could have developed, science demonstrates ear ringing is in no way messages from spirits or loved ones.

When to See a Doctor About Ringing

In most cases, tinnitus isn't a sign of a serious medical problem. However, if ringing in your ears is persistent or accompanied by hearing loss or dizziness, see your doctor. They can check for underlying conditions that may need treatment.

See your doctor if:

• Ringing in your ears doesn't get better within a few weeks
• Tinnitus occurs with other symptoms like dizziness or hearing loss
• Tinnitus is interfering with work, sleep or normal activity
• You develop anxiety or depression related to the tinnitus

Make an appointment right away if ringing in your ears is accompanied by any of the following:

• Chest pain
• Severe headache
• Blurry vision
• Heart fluttering
• Weakness or numbness

These can indicate a potentially dangerous medical issue that needs evaluation.

Diagnosing the Cause of Tinnitus

To diagnose your tinnitus, your doctor will do a physical examination and ask you questions about the noise you're hearing and any other symptoms you may be experiencing. They will also check your medical history for conditions associated with tinnitus, like hearing loss and ear disorders.

Some other diagnostic tests include:

• Hearing tests. These determine whether you have hearing loss along with the tinnitus.
• Balance tests. Problems with balance can be linked to tinnitus.
• Imaging tests. MRI and CT scans can reveal structural problems that may be at the root of tinnitus.

Identifying and treating an underlying cause may alleviate the ringing you're experiencing. However, the cause cannot always be determined. Treating the tinnitus symptoms directly may be necessary in addition to or instead of treating the underlying condition.

Tinnitus Treatment Options

Treating an identified underlying cause of tinnitus may reduce or eliminate the noise. However, most cases have no cure, so treatment focuses on masking the ringing or hissing to make it less bothersome.

Treatments that may help relieve tinnitus include:

• Sound therapy. Background noise, white noise machines, soothing music or other external sounds can distract you from tinnitus or mask the ringing.
• Hearing aids. If you have hearing loss along with tinnitus, hearing aids can amplify external sounds to mask the ringing and improve communication ability.
• Counseling. Talk therapy helps you deal with frustration, anxiety and other negative feelings associated with tinnitus.
• Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT). This uses sound therapy along with counseling to help your brain ignore the meaningless tinnitus signal.
• Medications. There are no medications for tinnitus itself, but some like antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs can help with side effects like anxiety and trouble sleeping.
• Electrical stimulation. Small implants or external devices can send electrical signals to stimulate brain areas involved in hearing and distract you from tinnitus.
• Stress reduction. Stress and fatigue can aggravate tinnitus, so relaxation techniques like yoga, massage and meditation can dampen the effects.

If your quality of life is significantly affected by tinnitus, your doctor may recommend a combination of the above treatments to help manage your symptoms.

Preventing Tinnitus

Some forms of tinnitus are unavoidable with age, but you can take steps to protect yourself from developing it early or worsening existing tinnitus:

• Avoid exposure to loud noises by wearing ear protection at concerts, when using lawn care equipment, etc.
• Get regular hearing tests to detect early hearing loss that could worsen tinnitus.
• Address ear infections, cardiovascular issues, and other medical conditions that can lead to tinnitus.
• Limit use of NSAIDs, quinine, certain antibiotics and other drugs that can worsen tinnitus symptoms.
• Turn down the volume when listening to music or TV with headphones or earbuds.

Taking care of your ears and overall health gives you your best chance to avoid developing tinnitus early and helps prevent existing tinnitus from worsening.

The Future of Tinnitus Treatment

New research brings hope for developing a cure for tinnitus by finding ways to repair inner ear cells. Some areas being studied include:

• Using neural stem cells to regenerate damaged nerve connections
• Implanting cochlear electrodes to stimulate the auditory nerve
• Injecting drugs to promote inner ear cell growth
• Using a gel to deliver growth factors to the inner ear
• Implanting miniature computers to normalize auditory nerve impulses

Small studies have shown some success in reducing or eliminating phantom noise. Larger clinical trials are underway to verify the most promising approaches. Though it may still be years away, curing tinnitus may eventually be possible with medical advances.

Coping With Tinnitus Now

While research continues, if you suffer from tinnitus today, there are proven treatments that can make it less intrusive and help preserve your quality of life. See your doctor if ringing, buzzing or roaring in your ears is affecting your sleep, mood or ability to concentrate. Ongoing research provides hope that curing tinnitus may be possible in the future.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.