Why do I sometimes suddenly hear a sharp ringing in my ears?
Sudden ringing in the ears is a common experience and does not generally foreshadow permanent tinnitus or indicate that existing tinnitus is worsening. [1] This phenomenon has not been studied until recently, and little was known about it. A multicenter study from Israel, Canada, and the US has shed light on what has been a little understood sensation. [1] The researchers describe these episodes as a sudden perception of a tone in one ear that fades away within seconds and seems to have no definite trigger. It can sometimes be associated with a feeling of fullness, pressure, blocking or hearing loss of the same ear. Once it begins, it remains at a constant loudness for several seconds then wanes until it is no longer perceived. [1] This ringing could be a sign that you are energetically sensitive and aware of the subtle energetic shifts that are happening in your physical and etheric bodies. It may also be a sign that you have clairaudient or clairsentient abilities and are able to discern information from the energetic exchanges around you. [2]
Ringing in the ears is usually the result of damage to the hair cells or cochlea, which transform sound waves into electrical signals sent to the brain's auditory cortex [1]. Hair cells can be damaged by loud noise or ototoxic drugs, among other things [1]. This damages the cochlea or cochlear nerve, which transmits sound to the brain, and disrupts the normal signals sent to the brain [1, 2]. The resulting auditory noise takes the form of tinnitus, or ringing in the ears [1]. Other factors can cause tinnitus, such as impacted earwax, middle ear problems like infections and vascular tumors, aging, and Meniere's disease, a disorder of the balance mechanism in the inner ear [1].