I have had a constant ringing in my right ear for days.

[coloradodem2005]

It was also clogged up for weeks before this. I hope it goes away.

[Sanity Claws]

1. Ringing?

Did you leave your cell phone in your ear?

[Pacifist Patriot]

2. Uh oh, whenever I have that it signals an ear infection.

Have you had a cold recently?

[Feathered Fish]

3. You should probably go see your doctor

unless you're kidding, in which case, stick a pencil in it - it's sure to stop ringing. :)

[Beaverhausen]

4. Well, answer it!

seriously- go to a doctor. You have some kind of infection and your hearing is being damaged.

[Magrittes Pipe]

5. It's the Great Gazoo.

And he's not all nice, like in the Flintstones. He's come to make everything good in your life regress to the mean. And to make everything bad in your life become even MORE of an outlier.

FEAR HIM! :scared:

[tridim]

6. Have you been taking a Limbaugh sized dosage of Oxycontin?

My ears are stuffed up too.. No ringing though, just an annoying and persistant popping/gurgling.

[benddem]

7. It is called tinnitus

it can be a symptom of taking too much aspirin. BUT many people have it. I have it all the time. The doctor is going to charge you a bunch and tell you he/she can't do anything for you.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

8. Ear wax

can cause ringing. There are two ways I know to get rid of excessive ear wax. One is to use ear wash drops. I don't like this because inevitably I get a bubble of water stuck in my ear canal when I wash it out. The second way is to use an ear candle. I really like this method, as it is quick and you can see how much wax you get out. You can purchase said candles at a health food store, and they can explain how to use them.

In either case, if you have pain in your ears, don't use that technique. See a doctor instead.

[seriousstan]

12. I agree, it could very well be earwax but I disagree about the candle.

The best method is to see a doctor and, if necessary, he can irrigate your ear.

As for the candle, that is an old wives tale, and a dangerous one at that.

http://www.healthcentral.com/DrDean/DeanFullTextTopics.cfm?ID=14399

http://www.entlink.net/activities/committees/earcandles.cfm

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

14. I have used it

and my doctor (an MD) says ear candles are fine.

[seriousstan]

19. Sorry,anecdotal evidence does sway me and MD's are hardly experts.

I will lay my faith in scientific study and experiments.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m2843/is_5_24/ai_67691832

http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candling.html

http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/health/earcandle/statement.html

http://www.healthwatcher.net/Quackerywatch/Ear-candling/letter020304polevoy.html

http://www.fda.gov/ora/fiars/ora_import_ia7701.html

http://chealth.canoe.ca/columns.asp?columnistid=3&articleid=2852

http://chealth.canoe.ca/columns.asp?columnistid=3&articleid=2852

Even an ear candle manufacturer denies the ear wax removal claim...
http://www.usanest.org/faq.htm

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

24. You are, of course, entitled to your opinion

but I'd rather believe a person who has saved my husband's life via cutting edge medical procedures than some studies. Besides, I've seen the wax the candles have removed from my own ears.

[lumberingbear]

9. Aspirin over dose or...

Aspirin related meds (Salcylates) can cause ringing. If ear has been clogged and is now ringing it is probably a wax problem. (Ringing and sounds like your in a barrel.)

[Pooka Fey]

10. TMJ disorder can cause tinnitus (ringing in the ear)

Now I don't want to get sued, so this is not medical advice BUT, I got TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder - your jaw joint) after I was rear-ended in a car accident. If you were hit recently in the face, in an accident, or if you grind your teeth at night - from stress (some people don't realize they are doing this) that could be your answer.
I had to waste money on 3 doctors before any of them put 2 and 2 together to get me the proper diagnosis. Are you also getting headaches, dull aching pain around the ears , sensitivity to loud noises, jaw pain, or clicking or popping when you open your mouth?
If you think this might be the cause, write me back and I'll tell you some things to get some relief.

[OhioChick]

11. Yep....I got it, too.....

THE KINNIE-FUNT INDEX OF HEAD, NECK, FACIAL PAIN and TMJ DYSFUNCTION

While many of these symptoms have been connected with TMJ Dysfunction, there is no true "classic" picture of a person that suffers from TMJ Dysfunction.

Eye Pain and Eye Problems:
- eye pain above, below, behind
- bloodshot eyes
- blurring of vision
- bulging appearance
- pressure behind the eyes
- light sensitivity
- watering of the eyes
- drooping of the eye lids

Head Pain, Headache Problems, Facial Pain:
- forehead pain
- temporal pain
- "migraine" type headache
- "cluster-type" headache
- sinus headache under the eyes
- posterior headaches, back of head, with or without shooting pains
- hair and/or scalp painful to touch

Mouth, Face, Cheek, and Chin Problems:
- discomfort or pain to any of these areas
- limited opening
- inability to open the jaw smoothly or evenly
- jaw deviates to one side when opening
- inability to "find bite" with teeth

Teeth and Gum Problems:
- clenching or grinding at night
- looseness and or soreness of back teeth
- tooth pain

Jaw and Jaw Joint Problems:
- clicking, popping jaw joints
- grating sounds
- jaw locking opened or closed
- pain in cheek muscles
- uncontrollable jaw or tongue movements

Ear Pain, Ear Problems, and Postural Imbalances:
- hissing, buzzing, ringing, or roaring sounds
- diminished hearing
- ear pain - without infection
- clogged, stuffy, "itchy" ears, feeling of fullness
- balance problems, "vertigo", dizziness, or disequilibrium
- crackling noises in ears

Throat Problems:
- swallowing difficulties
- tightness of throat
- sore throat without infection
- voice fluctuations
- laryngitis
- frequent coughing or constant clearing of throat
- feeling of foreign object in throat
- tongue pain
- salivation (intense)
- pain of the hard palate in the mouth


Neck and Shoulder Problems:
- lack of mobility - reduced range of movement
- stiffness
- neck pain
- tired, sore neck muscles
- shoulder aches
- back pain upper and lower
- arm and finger tingling, numbness and or pain


This list has been around for a while. It's still considered one of the best to check for symptoms that could be TMJ related.

[Pooka Fey]

17. This is a great list. I've never seen it. Link or book please?

My throat is sore all the time, and my voice just sucks. It pretty much hurts to talk. So DU is just great for me. :-)
I never realized (or had a doctor tell me - not one of the 16 that I had seen by the time this was somewhat "resolved") that my throat and voice problems were a symptom of the same disorder. Thanks for putting this list up.:hi:

[OhioChick]

20. No Problem....

Great TMJ-related forum. Very informative. :hi:

http://p221.ezboard.com/ftmjtalkfrm7.showMessage?topicID=12.topic

[Pooka Fey]

21. Thanks!

[maveric]

13. It could be a tumor.

"Its not a toomah!"

[RebelOne]

15. I have ringing in both of my ears 24/7.

I have tinnitus, which is a constant ringing, clicking and buzzing all the time. I have just learned to live with it, since there is no cure. I am sure your problem will clear up.

[Squeech]

16. How to deal with excess ear wax

There's this stuff called Debrox, a solution of some calcium compound, and there are generic versions of the same stuff. Get some. It comes in little bottles of an ounce or so. Every day, about five minutes before you take a shower, drop ten drops of it into the clogged ear. You should hear it sizzle a little, like the carbonation in a glass of soda. And of course you'll have to hold your head tilted sideways to keep the stuff from draining out. After a week or so of this, the ear should be clear.

If it's really clogged, you can also get a rubber bulb (I got mine in a kit with some of the fluid) and squirt warm soapy water repeatedly into the ear. (Takes several applications of both the fluid and the bulb, over several days, until the clot breaks up. And this is just what the doctor would do for you too.) I've had to do this a few times, usually after I get back from vacation in Brazil. (I think it's because of the inadequacy of the water heaters in Brazilian households; I can't get hot enough showers.)

[Nevernose]

18. Probably not ear wax; Do you have high blood pressure?

Since the outer ear contains the ear wax, and the ringing is coming from the inner ear.

Ear candles just don't work. They won't actually HURT anything, but they don't work. I used them for years before discovering a few studies proving that they're completely ineffective. And although they can't remove any ear wax, they can relieve the itching from an external ear infection.

If the infection is external (outside the ear drum), then a few drops of vinegar will likely clear it up.

If it's internal, take epehdrin for a few days to clear your sinuses/eustachian tubes. If it still doesn't work, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics and a few specialized steroids and steroidal drops.

No one really knows what can cause it, though, -- there are hundreds of possibilities, and many more unknown. One of the most common is high blood pressure.

I've had severe ear problems for the last few years, going to many, many specialists, and nothing worked better than OTC Sudafed to dry things up.

[IMOK_UROK2]

22. It can also be caused by

TMJ, and that can cause ringing. The pressure can fool the brain into thinking its hearing a sound. Sometimes a dentist can make a form that you can wear at night, which can aline the jaw and take the pressure off the nerves that are causeing the ringing. Thats just one o suggestion but its not always something to worry to much about.

[OhioChick]

23. TMJ-related tinnitus

can also be caused by a 'spasming' of the muscles. The 'Tensor veli palatini' is usually responsible, but at times can be caused by compression on the nerve.

The tensor tympani (it attaches to the ear drum, and stabilizes it from the excess vibration caused by loud sounds) and the tensor levi palatini (it attaches to the Eustachian tube, and helps to open and close the tube, thereby equalizing pressure within the inner ear...it is what "unplugs" your ears as you chew gum in an airplane).