Something funny happens when I whistle

[thrice]

Ok so last night I was whistling along with a tune and I noticed a strange sound...like a clashing harmony. I figured I was off or something, whistled the wrong the note. Then I whistled the song again just by myself and I heard the same weird clash. So after some more whistling and so forth I determined that I was actually hearing a fixed pitch on top of what I was whistling.

In short if I whistle one pitch, I hear two, the pitch I'm whistling and another fixed pitch. I can change the pitch I'm whistling and the fixed pitch remains, well fixed even when I move the whistled pitch quickly. It's pretty strong too (the fixed pitch, I can hear it very clearly.)

My wife does not hear this other pitch. Which has me concerned about my hearing. Obviously I'm not looking for medical advice, I should see an audiologist, but I was just wondering if anyone else has experienced this as well. I don't seem to hear any anomalies when I sing or speak or listen to music through headphones....just whistling.

I went out and got an ear-wax removal kit and followed the directions thinking that maybe I had some impacted wax or something that was creating some sort of resonance factor in my ear-canals. But that didn't help and I didn't seem to have a lot of ear-wax anyway. Strange thing is that if I cover each ear while I whistle I still hear the fixed pitch, even with both ears closed.

I was trying some throat singing the other day (you know trying to sing two pitches at the same time, it's possible)... so maybe that has something to do with it.

Weird huh?

[deepak]

When we hear ourselves sing/speak it's through bone conduction instead of air conduction. That's why we sound different to other people.

Whats going on in your case pathologically I have no idea, I haven't studied ENT in a long time

[thrice]

Perhaps that means I'm creating the fixed pitch via whistling since I can hear it even when I cover my ears?

[deepak]

Perhaps that means I'm creating the fixed pitch via whistling since I can hear it even when I cover my ears?

That's my best guess. Probably nothing to do with your hearing.

This will sound weird but do you hear the fixed pitch if you try changing your whistling technique? Instead of "true" whistling by blowing air out, do you hear the fixed pitch if you try and whistle by sucking in? (it might be hard to do).

[thrice]

Yes I do.

[luvdunhill]

can you whistle and hum at the same time and control the two pitches individually?

[Comfy]

Do you get the second pitch also if you just blow air, or when normalizing ear pressures (valsalva maneuver)?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver

[aardvark baguette]

Can you still whistle while you work?

[Duggeh]

can you whistle and hum at the same time and control the two pitches individually?

I've practised that so much and have limited success, but I run out of breath really quick.

[postjack]

Definitely demons.

Eventually you won't even be able to hear yourself whistle, you'll just hear the demon pitch. And unfortunately the demon pitch only tells you to do one thing: kill.

It would be great if you could finish up my amp before the murderous demon pitch envelops you.

[thrice]

Do you get the second pitch also if you just blow air, or when normalizing ear pressures (valsalva maneuver)?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver

No.

[thrice]

Definitely demons.

Eventually you won't even be able to hear yourself whistle, you'll just hear the demon pitch. And unfortunately the demon pitch only tells you to do one thing: kill.

It would be great if you could finish up my amp before the murderous demon pitch envelops you.

Fortunately my ability to hear is not needed to sling solder...just to make sure your amp actually works.

[Smeggy]

I'll be impressed when I see someone humming and whistling while simultaneously rubbing their belly and patting their head. Now that would be something to see.

I'm easily amused

[ojnihs]

i'm going to have to agree with deepak in that i don't think it has anything to do with your hearing. what i'm confused about, personally, is that the other pitch is fixed. is it always the same? i'm not as well versed on this stuff as deepak, considering i'm just a first year, but i wouldn't jump directly to thinking that it's your hearing.

[thrice]

actually I'm concerned its tinnitus. I was just in the bathroom and someone else was whistling and I could hear the pitch cutting in and out. So after they left I started whislting and blocking each ear because I can hear it in the right ear better than the left.

So when I blocked the right ear, just before I started whistling I could hear the pitch, very faintly. I was not whistling and I had my index finger just covering the ear canal, almost like you're listening to a sea shell.... the same pitch. Christ, I hope I don't have tinnitus.

[ojnihs]

actually I'm concerned its tinnitus. I was just in the bathroom and someone else was whistling and I could hear the pitch cutting in and out. So after they left I started whislting and blocking each ear because I can hear it in the right ear better than the left.

So when I blocked the right ear, just before I started whistling I could hear the pitch, very faintly. I was not whistling and I had my index finger just covering the ear canal, almost like you're listening to a sea shell.... the same pitch. Christ, I hope I don't have tinnitus.

sounds like tinnitus thrice. i have that as well, a very high pitched sound when i plug my ears, but it's unnoticable for me unless i'm plugging my ears. never notice it during the day or night, but it does get worse after listening to music with headphones. i'd lay off the headphones for a while.

[thrice]

yep, I'll head to the doctor as well, can't have this getting worse. Looks like there are temporary things that can trigger it as well, so perhaps some rest is all that's needed. i wonder if putting earplugs in would help, to block out sounds so the ears have time to rest.

Could be an ear infection as well, and that ear is feeling a little off, but that could be me being hypersensative at this point.

Off to the Dr. it is then.

Sigh.

[ojnihs]

yep, I'll head to the doctor as well, can't have this getting worse. Looks like there are temporary things that can trigger it as well, so perhaps some rest is all that's needed. i wonder if putting earplugs in would help, to block out sounds so the ears have time to rest.

Could be an ear infection as well, and that ear is feeling a little off, but that could be me being hypersensative at this point.

Off to the Dr. it is then.

Sigh.

sorry bud. there are a bunch of things that can cause you to have tinnitus or for your underlying tinnitus to get worse, from medications to ear wax to ear infections. i wouldn't worry about it too much. it's probably louder and more noticable now since you are thinking about it, but once you see the doc and stuff, i'm sure you won't even notice it.

[Smeggy]

Tinnitus is a fixed pitch white noise that's always there. I have tinnitus louder in one ear than the other, which is apparently a warning sign of some other damage but they couldn't figure it out with me. I've had it for years. Yours sounds like it may be something else but only an ENT specialist can say. I wouldn't be too worried at this point, it may just be a small congestion in the ear/nose piping.

[deepak]

Tinnitus is a fixed pitch white noise that's always there. I have tinnitus louder in one ear than the other, which is apparently a warning sign of some other damage but they couldn't figure it out with me.

Classically that would be would be an acoustic neuroma. But more commonly is just sensorineural hearing loss in the one ear.

[thrice]

sorry bud. there are a bunch of things that can cause you to have tinnitus or for your underlying tinnitus to get worse, from medications to ear wax to ear infections. i wouldn't worry about it too much. it's probably louder and more noticable now since you are thinking about it, but once you see the doc and stuff, i'm sure you won't even notice it.

Well it seems a little softer now than yesterday. I've got some Murine that I was using last night since I thought it might be built up wax. I'll try that again later tonight....we'll see what happens. I'll call the Doc tomorrow and get in to see someone this week or next. Yeah, knowing it's there is worse...I can't actually hear it unless I whistle or block my right ear, but KNOWING is driving me nuts.

[Smeggy]

Let's hope it clears up. I think it would be uncommon not to develop tinnitus of some level as time goes on. However, like much white noise it can be noticeable at times and at other times your brain can quite effectively filter it out if you're not thinking about it. Mine is always louder when I listen for it or discuss it. Most of the time it doesn't register much.

[ojnihs]

Well it seems a little softer now than yesterday. I've got some Murine that I was using last night since I thought it might be built up wax. I'll try that again later tonight....we'll see what happens. I'll call the Doc tomorrow and get in to see someone this week or next. Yeah, knowing it's there is worse...I can't actually hear it unless I whistle or block my right ear, but KNOWING is driving me nuts.

i'm glad to hear that the pitch is softer than yesterday, that sounds promising. are you sick by any chance? i've always had a problem with my sinuses and whenever i get sinus infections, my tinnitus tends to get a bit louder. my tinnitus is mostly a very high pitched whine, same volume level in both ears, but when both ears are plugged it's loud. go figure. i think it's from my middle school days when i used to listen to metal at like volume 11 on my pcdps. boy was that dumb.

try not to focus on it too much, i know that's easier said than done, but i don't want you to go nuts or anything. oh, and definitely don't keep checking and re-checking for it, that'll just make you go nuts faster.

[Smeggy]

X2

distract yourself and it'll be much less of a problem.

[HiWire]

Gap between the teeth or another hole in the head?

Does the whistling sound happen when you're sitting in a very quiet room?