Why Do Your Ears Ring After Loud Noises?

After a loud event, you might hear a high-pitched ringing in your ears.

What is that sound actually coming from? Inside your inner ear,

tiny hair cells turn sound vibrations into nerve signals. Loud sounds make those hair cells

move more forcefully than usual. If the sound is very loud, some hair cells

can become overstimulated or injured. When that happens, the nerve pathways can keep firing

even after the sound stops. Your brain interprets that extra activity as a sound

that isn’t really there. That ringing, buzzing, or whistling is

called tinnitus. A short episode is common, but it signals your ears were