Randomly Got Ear Ringing Yesterday Night. No Idea What May Have Caused This.

[robinsohn]

I noticed the ringing yesterday night and on that day I did nothing that involved high volume usage. I do play video games with a headset so that can be a factor. But when I woke up I noticed that my earlobe was swollen and had bunch of red dots/creases on it. Can this be a cause?

 

[Markku]

I noticed the ringing yesterday night and on that day I did nothing that involved high volume usage. I do play video games with a headset so that can be a factor. But when I woke up I noticed that my earlobe was swollen and had bunch of red dots/creases on it. Can this be a cause?

From now on pay a lot of attention to sound levels, hearing damage can be cumulative.

I'd recommend having yourself checked out by an ENT (who are often useless with tinnitus, but if your ear has infection or something like that, they should be able to spot it).

Likewise you may ask for a hearing test and maybe a course of steroids (these should be started as soon as possible, preferably within 24-48 hours...).

Welcome to TT and please let us know how you get on; it is possible it will go away still, yours is so recent.

 

[Quentino]

But when I woke up I noticed that my earlobe was swollen and had bunch of red dots/creases on it.

Seems not in the ear canal here, but maybe you have an ear infection?

You should see an ENT.

 

[robinsohn]

Hi thanks for your reply. What is your recommended sound level when using headphones?

 

[Markku]

Hi thanks for your reply. What is your recommended sound level when using headphones?

Hard to say, it depends on audio source/player, headphones etc.

I'd aim for 50% of max or less myself (if that's still something you can hear, it doesn't need to be whispering quiet).

I'm tagging @Steve as he is a gamer and probably has good input on this...

 

[Steve]

There's no easy guide as it depends on the phones you're wearing but broadly you should aim for the level to be where you can hear a person talking next to you still. If they have to raise their voice for you to hear them then it's probably to loud.

For me though it's about quality versus noise level. A set of phones that lets you hear all of the detail of the game without needing to turn it louder is perfect, otherwise you feel like you need the extra volume. And if it's a game where you need to hear your surroundings to get an advantage it also helps your playing too.