Skip to main content
MCHS_Logo_2024_BLACK
  • Patient Portal
  • Pay Bill Online
  • Request an Appointment
    • Services

      Featured Services

      • Cardiology (Heart)
      • Gastroenterology & Hepatology (Digestive Care)
      • Neurosurgery
      • Obstetrics & Gynecology (OB-GYN)
      • Oncology (Cancer)
      • Orthopedics & Orthopedic Surgery (Bones)
      • Primary Care
      • Spine Care
      • Sports Medicine
      • Surgery
      • Urology

      View all services
    • Providers
    • Locations

      Minnesota

      • Albert Lea
      • Austin
      • Belle Plaine
      • Blooming Prairie
      • Butterfield
      • Caledonia
      • Cannon Falls
      • Fairmont
      • Faribault
      • Lake City
      • Lake Crystal
      • Mankato
      • Montgomery
      • New Prague
      • Northfield
      • Owatonna
      • Plainview
      • Red Wing
      • Rochester
      • Sherburn
      • St. James
      • St. Peter
      • Waseca
      • Waterville
      • Wells
      • Zumbrota

      Wisconsin

      • Arcadia
      • Barron
      • Bloomer
      • Chetek
      • Chippewa Falls
      • Eau Claire
      • Ellsworth
      • Glenwood City
      • Holmen
      • La Crosse
      • Menomonie
      • Mondovi
      • Onalaska
      • Osseo
      • Prairie du Chien
      • Rice Lake
      • Sparta
      • Tomah

      Iowa

      • Decorah

      View map
    • Classes/Events
    • Blog
    • Wellness
    • Referrals
    Posted By
    Katie Dease, Au.D.

    Katie Dease, Au.D.

    Audiology (Hearing)

    Recent Posts

    • Hunters in orange vests
      Speaking of Health
      Hunting? Be sure to protect your hearing
      April 08, 2025
    • Closeup of rollerblades on a person's feet
      Speaking of Health
      Don't miss a quiet symptom of concussion
      October 08, 2024
    • Person wearing earbuds
      Speaking of Health
      Young people wearing earbuds or headphones? Listen up
      May 03, 2024
    Featured Topics
    • Behavioral Health
    • Cancer
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    • Exercise and Fitness
    • Heart Health
    • Men's Health
    • Neurosurgery
    • Obstetrics and Gynecology
    • Orthopedic Health
    • Weight-loss (Bariatric) Surgery
    • Women's Health
    Join our email newsletter
    Speaking of Health
    Tuesday, March 15, 2022

    Are you hearing crickets?

    Topics in this Post
    • Ear Health
    Person with long blonde hair wearing knit sweater

    Crickets, crickets, crickets.

    I hear them all the time, even in the winter. I hear them more in one ear than the other. Sometimes they don't sound like crickets, but a ringing, hissing and even chirping. At times, they're loud — really loud. I have tinnitus.

    I'm not alone. Nearly 45 million people suffer from tinnitus or head noises. The sound, or sounds, may be intermittent or annoyingly continuous in one or both ears.

    Mine is intermittent, catching me off guard when I least expect it. It's especially bothersome when I'm trying to have a conversation or fall asleep.

    So what causes tinnitus? Experts believe it comes from damage to the hair cells in the inner ear. The health of these hair cells is important for sending signals to the auditory nerve and ultimately the brain. Injury to them brings on hearing loss and often tinnitus. In most cases, the tinnitus or noises will start years before any identifiable hearing loss.

    There's no specific cure for tinnitus, but it's important that if you start experiencing these noises to be checked by an audiologist. The audiologist may refer you to an ear, nose and throat specialist. These health care professionals can rule out any worrisome problems and provide management options so the sounds no longer interfere with daily living.

    Tinnitus can be made worse by external factors, such as stress, anxiety, poor sleep hygiene, caffeine or sodium intake, and even nicotine use or exposure. I've noticed how much worse my sounds are when I'm stressed from a busy workday or when I stayed up too late the night before.

    I find a few moments of mindfulness or meditation help on those extra stressful days. I also try to get seven to eight hours of sleep each night and keep my caffeine consumption with reasonable limits. Technically, that’s 400 mg of caffeine or about four cups of brewed coffee, 10 cans of cola or two "energy shot" drinks.

    Others use sound, like a fan or a sound machine playing ocean waves or music, when falling asleep. Some who wear hearing aids to treat hearing loss notice less tinnitus while wearing their devices.

    Treatment for managing tinnitus isn't a one-size-fits-all approach. Meeting with your health care team, especially an audiologist, can identify tools that are right for you and calm those annoying crickets.

    Katie Kendhammer, Au.D., is an audiologist in Owatonna, Minnesota.

    Topics in this Post
    • Ear Health

    Related Posts

    Provider giving hearing test to patient Is tinnitus making you miserable?
    Michael Ulrich, M.D., is a hyperbaric medicine and wound care specialist. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy restores hearing for Marge LaFrance
    P_Breidung_SU14_sm Routine appointment leads to uncommon diagnosis

    Stay Connected

    • Contact Us
    • Notice of Nondiscrimination
    • Notice of Privacy Practices
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • About Us
    • Careers
    • Volunteer
    • Donate
    • For Patients & Visitors
    • Financial Assistance
    • Price Transparency
    • Community Resources
    • Mayo Clinic Connect
    • For Medical Professionals
    • Press Room
    • Mayo Clinic
    • Manage Cookie
    © 2018 - 2025 Mayo Clinic Health System