The Student Room Group

Ringing in ears

Does anyone know if loud music from headphones/personal players can cause ringing in the ears?

Just switched my music off after increasing the volume - it sounded quieter than usual so I increased it, but I don't know if this has caused the ringing. It's been going on for ten minutes now, and usually it's faded out and shut up after about ten seconds or whatnot.

It sounds/feels like it's in my left ear.
Reply 1
I get it ALOT...its called titinuss (i think) its nothing to worry about and is fairly common....it should go away in a few minutes :smile:
Still there lol.

*sigh* It's annoying me now. It's like this constant "riiiiing" on the left side.
Reply 3
lol its a real bitch just give it some time......i get mine at nite when im trying to sleep..
keeps me awake!! so i blast my rock music :rolleyes:
Reply 4
GiBB*
I get it ALOT...its called titinuss (i think) its nothing to worry about and is fairly common....it should go away in a few minutes :smile:


A permanent ringing in your ear is called titinus. I have it in my ears and it's caused by exposure to loud sounds such as loud concerts and headphones. I got mine from a Nightwish concert - they rung like a b1tch for weeks, and then they slowly quietened down to a dull ring which I usually hear at night and in the mornings. At first, it really annoyed me - I used to cry because it was so bad - but I gradually got used to it and stopped hearing it. At night, when I can't ignore it, I listen to relaxing 'sleep' music, which not only stops the ringing but makes me sleep, so all good!

Anyway, yours should go away after a while - it's not like you've seriously abused your ears like me at some ear-bursting operatic rock concert - so don't worry. Give it a while. :biggrin:
Isn't it cos the little 'hairs' (if they call them that) in your ears which vibrate move so much they go flat and constantly send a signal to the brain? I doubt theres an easy cure, just pretty logical methods of prevention...
Reply 6
not sure about the exact cause of tinitus..

but the sensory cells in your ears are some of the only ones in the body that don't regenerate apparently. kill them & they're gone - so exposing yourself to excessive noise isn't the best plan if you want to be able to hear much in middle/old age...
Reply 7
Cheesecakebobby - Yes, I think it's something to do with the little hairs. I read up on it awhile ago, but I can't really remember much about it now. As for prevention, I wish I hadn't have been so stupid or thoughtless, but well it's practically gone now and I've learnt a valuable lesson.

WEAR EAPLUGS!!!! PROTECT YOUR EARS!!!!!!

OK, I'm done...
Reply 8
i have had tinitus literally for as long as i can remember (since early childhood, at any rate). most of the time it's more a sort of awareness of sound than actual phantom noise, but when i'm particularly tired or ill or have been in a noisy place (i work stage managing gigs, so i'm exposed to rather more loud noise than i'd like! though, to the credit of my ever-considerate employers, i have been supplied with extremely effective hi-tech earplugs) it does get intrusive.

from what i've heard from the RNID (who ran an awareness campaign about this a couple of years ago) it's not a good idea to listen to loud music through headphones. and, as tatty says, the importance of earplugs at loud concerts cannot be overestimated. if you get ones that are designed not to distort the sound, you may even find they improve the listening experience!

but one time listening to your ipod too loud isn't going to do any lasting damage.

which is just as well because there is currently no cure at all for tinitus. apparently once you've got it, your best hope is that something will happen to make the malfunctioning sensory cells just give up altogether and stop sending those inaccurate messages to your brain. unfortunately, once that happens they won't be sending any messages at all. the sweet sound of silence! :frown: