Last night I was laying down trying to sleep just listening to the noises that my house makes when all of a sudden my right ear lost all 'volume'. It was like when someone moves the balance knob on a stereo all the way to the left so you can't hear anything on the right. After my right ear went on mute all I could hear was a buzzing/ringing sound and the whole episode lasted less than 10 seconds. WTF?

I'm very protective about my hearing, rarely will I even operate a vacuum cleaner without muffs on.

What's the matter with my noggin'!?

tag

Was the sound high pitched or a fluttering kind of noise?

ETA, either way, short periods of noise like that are normal, it happens to most people.

If it persists, then see a doc.

Noise like that is called tinnitus, but if you google it you'd probably come up with something like this....

CAUSES OF TINNITUS INCLUDE:

   * cardiovascular disorders, such as high blood pressure
   * metabolic abnormalities, such as low thyroid levels
   * neurologic disorders, such as multiple sclerosis
   * head trauma
   * side effects caused by drugs such as aspirin, anti-convulsants, or diuretics
   * psychological factors, such as depression


But it being temporary is key, so don't worry about the bad things you may find on the net.

Most of the time when there is long term ringing, there is an underlying cause. Anything from earwax buildup to any of the above maladies.

Quoted: Was the sound high pitched or a fluttering kind of noise?

high pitched

I'd go see your GP if I were you.  That would freak me out.

It happens to me once in a blue moon too. I've asked docs about it but they can really pin a reason to it. I've never worried about it thereafter. There is no know external cause for it, but it happens.

Yeah, it happens to me once in a great while but it happens so rarely that I always forget to ask the doc about it.

Welcome to middle age!

Quoted: Welcome to middle age!

lol I'm only 24!

WHAT???