What Causes Ringing in Your Ear (And Should You Answer It? )

Loud sounds are a major (and probably the common) contributor to ringing in your ears. It may be something you hear every day or something that only happens once in a while, but everything from music concerts and parties to athletic events to noisy machines and backfiring engines falls into this category. They can affect one or both ears, causing hearing loss as well as discomfort. 

If you think there’s an external sound that’s causing your ears to ring, we recommend making an effort to restrict your exposure to it. Even the simplest of things, like wearing ear protection to safeguard your hearing, will prove useful in the long term. Always wear over-the-ear hearing protection if you are in a place with extremely loud noises.

If you've recently been in a car accident or hit your head, the ringing you're hearing might be a sign of a muscular problem with your head. Certain common activities, like boxing, karate, or working on a building site also pose a variety of risks to your head and ears, so wear protective head equipment to help prevent any form of head injury.

Ringing in the ears can also be caused by certain ear-related conditions, such as otosclerosis. This common disorder runs in families, and causes the stiffening of the bones in your middle ears and irregular bone growth. 

This gooey substance that is produced by your body has the function of trapping dirt and protecting your ears. However, if it does not wash away on its own and too much of it accumulates, it can cause ringing in the ears or hearing loss. You can visit a specialist so they can carefully remove the excess earwax. Don't try to do it yourself with a cotton swab, though, as most of the time, it’ll just push the earwax deeper into your ear.

Hearing loss is common as people become older. This normally starts around the age of 60, and it is a process that generally affects both ears. The reasons behind this loss are related to external conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure, but it’s also a result of ear damage after years of exposing our ears to loud or repetitive noises. When our ability to hear common noises is reduced, most high-frequency noises will consequently cause ear ringing.

Even though ringing in the ears becomes more frequent as you get older, professional treatment and healthy “hearing habits,” can make the difference in the long term. In our modern society, we spend hours listening to music, watching movies and making video calls, so a nice first step to avoid ear ringing would be to make sure you’re keeping the volume at an adequate level. Diseases associated with ringing in the ear may also be avoided with regular exercise and proper nutrition. A healthy body and low volume is all that’s needed to save your ears from ringing!