Whistling, ringing or blowing sounds in one or both ears (TINNITUS) occur in nearly all forms of ear disease, generally with measurable hearing loss. The cause of such loss is often to be found in the end organ, the ear; and it may be trivial like wax or temporary impairment of function of the tube connecting the nose to the middle ear, or more seriously de-arrangement of the complex canals of the inner ear.
In this and the deafness due to old age there is often accompanying distortion of hearing. Whistling or ringing may be the first sign of hearing loss due to industrial noise or drugs. When this occur in one ear alone, this must be fully investigated as this may be the first sign of cancer of the ear (A NEUROMA).
Something like ringing in the ear occurring without hearing loss, may arise from dental problem, shortage of blood, high or low blood pressure,. Generally treatment of true ringing in the ear is unsatisfactory since it is caused by the irreversible degeneration of an important organ of hearing (organ of corti).
However, patients should be encouraged to understand the symptoms and to adapt to it if possible. Tranquilizers rarely help, but sleeping tablets at night may.
