Why do I hear a hissing sound?

Author: Gene Hodkiewicz  |  Last update: Wednesday, July 9, 2025

Tinnitus is one possible reason, but there are also myriad other causes of a hissing sound. Medical conditions like high blood pressure, reactions to medications, and injuries to the head and neck can also prompt a hissing noise or cause the perception of this sound.

Why am I hearing a hissing noise?

Tinnitus is often called "ringing in the ears." It may also sound like blowing, roaring, buzzing, hissing, humming, whistling, or sizzling. The noises heard can be soft or loud. The person may even think they're hearing air escaping, water running, the inside of a seashell, or musical notes.

How do I get rid of a hissing noise in my ear?

Treatment
  1. Earwax removal. Removing an earwax blockage can decrease tinnitus symptoms.
  2. Treating a blood vessel condition. Underlying blood vessel conditions may require medication, surgery or another treatment to address the problem.
  3. Hearing aids. ...
  4. Changing your medication.

Why do I hear a hissing sound in my room?

3. Hissing Noises. If your home uses gas and you hear an unfamiliar hissing sound, you should gather everyone in your home, head outdoors, and address the situation immediately as this could be a sign of a gas leak.

Why can I hear fizzing in my head?

Tinnitus (pronounced tin-NI-tus or TINN-ei-tus) is the perception of sounds in the ears or in the head that are not present in the environment. For example, tinnitus can sound like ringing, buzzing, whoosing, humming, chirping, cicadas, or like a concha shell. It can even sound like your heart beat.

Do you hear a constant hissing sound in your ear? Here's what's wrong

What causes sizzling in the ears?

Tinnitus is usually caused by an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, an ear injury or a problem with the circulatory system. For many people, tinnitus improves with treatment of the underlying cause or with other treatments that reduce or mask the noise, making tinnitus less noticeable.

How do I stop hissing noise?

When recording, you can eliminate the noise by removing noise sources such as a fan or a computer. You can also reduce the hissing sound by placing the microphone closer to the subject. Another way to eliminate hissing noise is to turn off the auto-gain settings in the camera.

When should I be concerned about ear noise?

Speak to your GP practice if:

you continually or regularly hear sounds such as buzzing, ringing or humming in your ears. your tinnitus is getting worse. your tinnitus is bothering you – for example, it's affecting your sleep or concentration, or is making you feel anxious and depressed.

What is the constant hissing sound in my head?

The symptoms of tinnitus can vary significantly from person to person. You may hear phantom sounds in one ear, in both ears, and in your head. The phantom sound may ring, buzz, roar, whistle, hum, click, hiss, or squeal. The sound may be soft or loud and may be low or high pitched.

Does hissing tinnitus go away?

Most of the time, it's temporary. But when the ringing in your ears continues day after day, week after week, it can become unbearable. Whether you have hearing-related tinnitus or there's another factor at play, it's important to see a healthcare provider — especially if symptoms last longer than a week or two.

How do doctors check Eustachian tubes?

They look at the opening of your Eustachian tube to see if it is functioning properly and check for signs of swelling or inflammation. Tympanometry test: This test uses a probe placed into your ear that gently changes the pressure against your eardrum.

Can anxiety cause hissing in ears?

Research shows that stress can be a trigger for tinnitus, or make it worse. And some people, though not all, find that tinnitus makes them feel stressed and anxious. So you may find yourself in a cycle: stress makes your tinnitus worse, which in turn makes you feel more stressed or anxious.

How can I stop the hissing in my ear?

But experts suggest trying 1 of the following to find relief:
  1. Hearing aids. These may help some people with tinnitus who have hearing loss. ...
  2. Cochlear implants. This option is for those who have tinnitus and severe hearing loss.
  3. Maskers or sound generators. ...
  4. Medicines. ...
  5. Tinnitus retraining therapy. ...
  6. Counseling. ...
  7. Relaxation.

What is the reason for hissing?

Hissing is an expression of discomfort, fear, or stress. Some of the top reasons cat hiss include: Feeling threatened by or fearful of people. Confrontation with other animals.

When I breathe there is a hissing sound?

Wheezing is the shrill whistle or coarse rattle you hear when your airway is partially blocked. It might be blocked because of an allergic reaction, a cold, bronchitis or allergies. Wheezing is also a symptom of asthma, pneumonia, heart failure and more.

Should I go to the ER for tinnitus?

Facial paralysis, severe vertigo, or sudden onset pulsatile tinnitus can indicate a seri- ous intracranial condition. These symptoms may point to cerebrovascular disease or neo- plasm, and should be treated as an otologic emergency.

Where do you press to stop tinnitus?

Ear gate. Ear gate, also referred to as ermen, san jiao 21, or SJ 21, is right in front of where the earlobe starts. Anecdotal evidence suggests that applying pressure to the ear gate can help alleviate head pains and tinnitus.

How to open a blocked ear at home?

If your ears are plugged, try swallowing, yawning or chewing sugar-free gum to open your eustachian tubes. If this doesn't work, take a deep breath and try to blow out of your nose gently while pinching your nostrils closed and keeping your mouth shut. If you hear a popping noise, you know you have succeeded.

What causes hissing in the ear?

The causes of objective tinnitus are most often internal conditions related to blood flow in vessels near the ear. Men are more prone to tinnitus than women, and it becomes increasingly common as we age. Individuals who work in loud environments such as factories and construction sites are at increased risk.

Why won't my ears stop hissing?

Causes of tinnitus

conditions such as diabetes, thyroid disorders or multiple sclerosis. anxiety or depression. taking certain medicines – tinnitus can be a side effect of some chemotherapy medicines, antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and aspirin.

What is a hissing sound called?

This type of sound is also known as sibilance, a consonant that's pronounced when a stream of air passes through teeth that are touching or close together. A barista's steaming wand hisses as she foams milk, and some types of snakes hiss in warning. Definitions of hiss. verb.

Why can I hear fizzing in my ear?

Your eustachian tubes may not be able to open or close properly when you have allergies, a cold, sinus infections, or polyps or tumors in your nose. This causes ear popping or crackling sounds.

What is the simple trick to stop tinnitus?

Listening to music, podcasts or other audio can be a great trick to distract yourself from tinnitus by giving you something else to focus your attention on. White noise or ambient sounds can help cover up the sound of ringing in your ears.

How to massage an eustachian tube to drain?

Use your finger to find a bony bump behind your ear lobe. Slide your finger down until you feel a groove between your earlobe and jaw. Using firm, steady pressure, trace the groove all the way down your neck to the collarbone. Repeat this process three times on each side of your head, three times a day.

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