A Faint, Brief, Sine Tone in One Ear?

[Chuck M.]

Do you ever have an event like this:

• It's a faint, barely noticeable tone in one ear?
• It seems like a pure sine tone, much lower than your usual higher-pitch tinnitus?
• It's brief: suddenly occurs, after 5 seconds or so it starts to fade then is gone at 10 seconds?

It's so faint it's not bothersome at all. I wonder if it's a common occurrence for almost everybody but ignored. I'm asking because I'm wondering if it might be similar to a visual disturbance I have a couple of times per year in which a small part (10% or so) of my visual field in one eye goes dark for 5 seconds or so, and recovers in another 5 seconds or so. I've had a battery of scans and tests to rule out TIAs, and the doctor speculates that this is neurological rather than vascular.

Thanks!

 

[RocketJSquirrel]

Yes, I get those brief tones occasionally, maybe once a day. I think it's my tinnitus saying, "Stop ignoring me." I don't have a visual disturbance.

 

[SilverFox]

This sounds similar to Sudden Brief Unilateral Tapering Tinnitus (SBUTT), which is a normal occurrence. Some evidence suggests that people with tinnitus experience SBUTTs more frequently than regular people.