Hearing a humming or buzzing sound in your ears can be alarming, but it is often not a cause for concern. There are many potential reasons why you may hear this type of noise. In most cases, it does not indicate any serious underlying medical issue.
What causes humming or buzzing in the ears?
Here are some of the most common causes of hearing a humming sound in your ears:
- Tinnitus – This condition causes ringing, buzzing, roaring or humming noises in the ears. It is often triggered by age-related hearing loss, earwax buildup, ear bone changes, traumatic brain injury or exposure to loud noises.
- Earwax blockage – Excessive earwax can press against the eardrum and cause buzzing or humming. This is easily treated by having the ears cleaned by a doctor.
- Middle ear infection – Infections of the middle ear structures can lead to muffled hearing and strange noises like humming. Antibiotics typically clear up the infection.
- Muscle spasms – Spasms of muscles in and around the ear can sometimes make buzzing noises. Examples are palatal myoclonus (roof of the mouth spasms) and tensor tympani myoclonus (eardrum spasms).
- Ménière’s disease – This inner ear disorder disturbs the fluid and sensing structures of the ear, causing vertigo, ringing and hearing loss.
- Eustachian tube dysfunction – When the Eustachian tubes between the ears and throat get blocked, it can create odd sounds like humming.
- Medication side effects – Some medications like aspirin, antibiotics, diuretics and antidepressants can occasionally cause temporary tinnitus.
- Ear bone changes – With aging, the small bones in the middle ear may harden or fuse together, transmitting sound oddly and sometimes causing humming sounds.
Is the humming sound in one or both ears?
Pay attention to whether the humming or buzzing sound seems to affect both ears or just one ear. Bilateral humming noise (in both ears) is more likely to be caused by a systemic condition like:
- Tinnitus
- Side effect from a medication
- Eustachian tube dysfunction
- Anemia or low blood pressure reducing blood flow to the ears
A humming noise in just one ear is more suggestive of an ear-specific problem like:
- Earwax blockage
- Ear bone changes
- Middle ear infection
- Eustachian tube dysfunction just on that side
- Muscle spasms in the structures near that ear
- Ménière’s disease affecting only that inner ear
When does the humming noise occur?
The timing of the humming noise in your ears can also provide clues to the cause:
- Constant humming – This is typical of tinnitus, earwax blockage, eustachian tube dysfunction, ear bone changes and muscle spasms near the ear.
- Intermittent humming – This points more towards middle ear infections, Ménière’s disease and side effects of medications when they are active in your system.
- Humming that changes with position – Some causes like eustachian tube dysfunction and muscle spasms can lead to humming that gets better or worse when you move your head or jaw.
- Humming when chewing or yawning – This pattern links the noise to eustachian tube dysfunction where the tubes do not open properly when pressure changes inside the mouth.
- Humming that gets louder with straining – You may hear humming when straining if there are blood flow issues to the ear or muscle spasms related to tense neck muscles.
Is there any hearing loss or other ear symptoms?
It is important to note if you have any hearing problems or other ear symptoms occurring along with the humming noise. This includes:
- Hearing loss or muffled hearing
- Pain, discomfort or feeling of fullness in the ear
- Dizziness or vertigo
- Drainage from the ear
These associated symptoms suggest conditions like an ear infection, Ménière’s disease, eustachian tube dysfunction or earwax blockage as the likely cause.
When should I see a doctor?
You should make an appointment with your doctor if:
- The humming persists for more than a week
- It is accompanied by hearing loss or dizziness
- You have ear pain or drainage from the ear
- It interferes significantly with your sleep or concentration
- The humming starts suddenly or is clearly audible over ambient noise
Though not always a cause for concern, persistent humming noise in the ears should be evaluated by an audiologist or ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor. They can examine your ears, perform hearing tests and imaging scans to determine the underlying cause.
How is ear humming diagnosed?
To diagnose the cause of humming or buzzing in the ears, the doctor will begin with a detailed history and physical exam of your ears, nose and throat. They may use the following tests as well:
- Hearing tests – These assess if there is any degree of hearing loss associated with the humming noise.
- Ear canal exam – The doctor looks inside the ear canal with a special instrument to check for earwax blockages, fluid, infection or other abnormalities.
- Tympanometry – This test measures how the eardrum responds to pressure changes. It can identify conditions like eustachian tube dysfunction.
- Blood tests – Blood cell counts, hormone levels and other markers may be checked to identify any underlying disorders.
- CT or MRI scans – Imaging of the ears and brain may be done to rule out tumors or structural problems causing tinnitus.
What treatments are available for ear humming?
The treatment options for humming, ringing or buzzing in the ears will depend on the underlying cause. Some potential treatments include:
- Earwax removal – Blockages can be removed using ear drops or professional irrigation under sterile conditions.
- Antibiotics and decongestants – These are used for middle ear infections or eustachian tube swelling.
- Limiting salt intake – Lower salt consumption can reduce fluid buildup in Ménière’s disease.
- Medications – Drugs like anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, alprazolam and baclofen may provide relief from tinnitus symptoms.
- Wearable sound generators – Small devices worn in the ear emit soft sounds to mask the humming sounds.
- Hearing aids – These amplify ambient sounds to drown out ear noises and improve hearing loss.
- Counseling – Therapy may help with stress management and coping techniques for chronic tinnitus cases.
What is the outlook for ear humming?
The long-term outlook depends on the specific cause of the humming sound. Temporary problems like infections and obstructed eustachian tubes generally resolve fully with appropriate treatment. In chronic conditions like tinnitus, counseling and sound therapy can help make the symptoms manageable over time in most cases.
For severe tinnitus cases that persist despite standard treatments, newer methods like transcranial magnetic stimulation may offer relief by disrupting misfiring auditory nerve signals.
While ear humming can be annoying for the time it lasts, there are many effective ways to diagnose the cause and improve the symptoms. See your doctor promptly if you have any persistent buzzing or ringing noises in your ears to get the required evaluation and treatment.
