What Causes Severe Tooth Ache And Cicadas In My Ear?

Posted on Sun, 12 Jan 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sun, 12 Jan 2014 Answered on

Fri, 31 Jan 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : A few days ago I woke up in the early hours of the morning with a sound like cicadas in my ear. It seems to be there 24 hours a day but is mostly noticeable at night when everything is quiet. I am a 66 year old female with generally good hearing and no previous problems. My doctor has ruled out wax in the ear. I have been on the coated aspirin for several years due to a stroke 17 years ago. I also have a very sore jawline and tooth ache when drinking cold drinks or cleaning my teeth.

Answered by Dr. Rajkishori Godhi (50 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Nerve deafness or cold Detailed Answer: Hi, Thanks for your query. Most commonly, cold and nasal allergies can give rise to tinnitus (sound in the ear). It occurs because of blockage of the tube that connects the nose to the ear. If you have a cold then you can use decongestant nose drops like otrivin nasal drops to open the tube. Once the cold settles your tinnitus will go away. Considering your age I feel the tinnitus can be because the nerve carrying impulses from your ear to the brain is slowly becoming weak. In very early nerve deafness, there may just be tinnitus. You should consult an ENT specialist to come to the diagnosis. If nerve deafness is suspected then you will need a test called audiometry which is nothing but a hearing test. It will tell us if there is any nerve weakness and if present the degree of weakness. Hope it helps. Regards, Dr Rajkishori.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj