2 nights ago I began having an irregular noise resembling a muffled geiger counter in left ear. No matter how I changed sleeping positions, would not go away. It persists off and on during the day (argh, it's doing it now) and continues nearly non-stop when I try to sleep. What I hear doesn't sound like the descriptions of tinnitis (not a ringing, buzzing or whooshing sound). Can this be sinus or stress related? It is coincidentally the same ear that I use with the phone and the noise became noticable after a particularly busy phone day. I am losing sleep with the persistant noise. Any thoughts as to a cause/solution?

have u seen a doc??