Monday, July 04, 2016

What is the Sound of One Ear Whispering?


This post gets a lot of play from google searches. Answer is in the comments - be sure to read them.

tin·ni·tus (t -n t s, t n -)

n. pl. tin·ni·tus·es

A sound in one ear or both ears, such as buzzing, ringing, or whistling, occurring without an external stimulus and usually caused by a specific condition, such as an ear infection, the use of certain drugs, a blocked auditory tube or canal, or a head injury.

Huh. It doesn’t say a word about hearing soap bubbles dissolving. Do you know the sound I’m referring to? I’m going to be sexist here and suggest that some men may not know, since the only examples I can come up with involve bubble baths or sinks full of soapy water intended for washing dishes. I’ve never put my ear near the head of a beer to listen, but it may be similar. It’s the evanescent sound of a lot of bubbles melting simultaneously, which is entirely different from the sonance the head on a soda pop makes. In carbonated liquids, the bubbles explode, where the sound I’m hearing is that of bubbles imploding. Shampoo! That’s it. It sounds like I have shampoo in my ear.

It’s been going on for a couple days. It began in my left ear, and after a while, it actually seemed to move to my brain, in the space a couple inches above my ear – the area that isn’t quite the top of my head, and not quite the side, either. After a while, it moved back to my ear, and has been there ever since. I can’t figure out what’s causing it, but it’s driving me nuts.

I know … there will be some “empty-headed bubble-brain” jokes coming my way. Yuk it up. But if anyone knows how to get rid of it, beyond the obvious “wash your ears,” I’m well … all ears.

16 comments:

  1. Ugh! I know that bubble-ear sensation. It's irritating and downright miserable the longer it goes on. When I get it, it almost always heralds the arrival of a cold. Sounds like you could be coming down with one, Lesia. I hope not, but 'tis the season. Sometimes, but not always, chewing gum helps a little. Feel better!

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  2. Shampoo in the brain? Look on the bright side. Nobody can accuse you of having a dirty mind.

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  3. Val, hon, you might have an ear infection. Is there any pain involved?

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  4. Ack! No! Y'all don't wish these things on me. There's no pain, and no sign of a cold, and I refuse to let there be. You will have to drag me, kicking and screaming, anywhere toward being sick. Curses!

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  5. Just got over this, and nothing absolutely NOTHING helped until I went to Vermont and got higher in altitude.

    Yu just need some r and r time :)

    oh yeah and maybe a decongestant...

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  6. I saw your post below about missing persons.

    It's true, I did vanish. The past month or so is a complete blur, and really, i don't remember where I have been at all.

    Abduction? I don't think so. Complete mental breakdown? Possible. Sideslipping into other worlds? Good chance.

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  7. Tony tony tony~!!!!! Hey it's me .... LEARY~!! *returning this thread to SW who owns it*

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  8. Hey, have you tried a little hydrogen peroxide in your ear to see if that helps? The bubbling will get worse for a sec, but hopefully will stop when you take it out.

    Don't use the kind for hair at like 27%. Use the kind for wounds cuts and abrasions. (3%)A little capful in the ear for a minute, then tilt head over sink to get it out.

    You maybe, uh, wanna check with doc first I guess.

    PS I am glad Tony's alive too

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  9. Try pouring a cap full of warm (clean) olive oil in the affected ear. Keep your head on tilt for about 60 seconds, dump the majority and let gravity remove the rest.

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  10. using either warm olive oil or warm garlic oil should help prevent an ear infection and flush out any lingering fluids (soap, water, etc.) This was a common treatment for me when I was growing up. It was a very rare instance that I would actually have an ear ache that grew progressively worse and had to see a doctor over and if memory serves correctly, that was using because it was some sort of bacterial infection and I needed antibiotics to clear it up. Hope that helps...

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  11. Y'all remember the guy who deleted the porn from my computer (I should have asked him how he did it before I had a fit, because it won't let me delete it)? Anyway, he had an ear infection a few days before he was here that time. I saw him yesterday and asked him if he heard this sound in his ear before the pain began, and I'm afraid his answer wasn't good news. I think I'll take Flood's advice first, and follow it with James' because the oil will linger better than peroxide will. And thanks for the disclaimer, Flood, but avoiding the doctor's office is exactly what I'm trying to avoid!

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  12. Well I just mention the doc cause it seemed like the responsible thing to do.

    Yes, I have done this, but not for the same reasons. I was just painfully aware of my ear canal. My doc said try the hydrogen peroxide bit before anything else. (My doc is really great about trying everything before meds, hence the fast, which is really going well, thanks for asking.)

    Anyway, again make sure it is NOT the percentage for dying hair, pour it in, let the bubbles do their thing (it tickles in the worst way) and then dump. I would do this about twice a day or maybe 2 or 3 days. If it's still not better, then you really oughta visit profesional. Luck!

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  13. How are your ears today? Any better? I hope you've tried the warm oil by now. I know people who swear by it. I've never heard of the peroxide treatment before, but it sounds like that would work, too.

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  14. I came across this the other day and had to look up the word. It made me laugh because we always just say "my ears are ringing".

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  15. Ok, I'm trying the hydrogen peroxide trick, because I'm about to lose it from the snappopplies, and I can't take it anymore!
    Funny, my ten year old told me the other day, to her mother the RN, that I probably have "that thing called ringing in the ears." I told her, NO, it' POPPING! I love that I learn something new everyday...didn't realize that popping can also be a sign of tinnitus. Yes, it sounds like soap bubbles!

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  16. I happened to have an empty syringe, so I filled it about 1/3 full with the 3% peroxide, tilted my head, and squirted it in. I held my head that way until the bubbling noise ceased. I repeated this three times a day, and after the second day, the noise went away. I did it again on the third day, just for good measure. I'm writing this on 01/27/07, and so far, so good.


    verification word: fnlot

    No, it wasn't a lot of fun, but it wasn't that bad, either.

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