Tinnitus

Alternative Names

Tinnitus, Subjective Tinnitus

What is Tinnitus

Tinnitus is not a condition, but a symptom of an underlying condition such as age-related hearing loss, ear injury or a circulatory system disorder. It is characterized by a noise or ringing in the ears. Tinnitus is the common problem for many people, it affects about 1 in 5 people.Tinnitus is not always a sign of something serious, but it can worsen with age. In some cases, tinnitus can improve with the treatment.

There are 2 main types of tinnitus:

• Pulsatile (like a heartbeat) tinnitus is usually caused by sounds created by muscle movements near the ear, changes in the ear canal or blood flow (vascular) problems in the face or neck. You may hear sounds such as your own pulse or the contractions of your muscles.
• Nonpulsatile tinnitus is often caused by problems in the nerves involved with hearing. You may hear sounds in one or both ears.

Signs and symptoms

Tinnitus causes the annoying sensation of hearing sound when there is no external sound. Tinnitus symptoms include these types of phantom noises in your ears:

• Ringing
• Buzzing
• Roaring
• Clicking
• Whistling
• Hissing

The phantom noise can range from a low roar to a high squeal and you may hear it in one or both ears. In some cases, the sound can be so loud it can interfere with your ability to concentrate or hear actual sound. Tinnitus may be permanent or temporary.

Possible complications

Tinnitus can lead to such complications as:

• Fatigue
• Stress
• Sleep problems
• Trouble concentrating
• Memory problems
• Depression
• Anxiety and irritability

What causes

Tinnitus can be caused by the following health conditions:

• Noise-induced hearing loss
• Ear and sinus infections
• Diseases of the heart or blood vessels
• Ménière’s disease
• Brain tumors
• Hormonal changes in women
• Thyroid abnormalities

Prevention

There are some tips to prevent tinnitus:

• You should use hearing protection. Over time, exposure to loud noise can damage the nerves in the ears leading to hearing loss and tinnitus.
• It is very important to turn down the volume, because long-term exposure to amplified music with no ear protection or listening to music at very high volume though headphones causes hearing loss and tinnitus.
• You should take care of your cardiovascular health. Regular exercise, eating right and taking other steps to keep your blood vessels healthy can help prevent tinnitus linked to blood vessel disorders.

Treatment

There is no cure for tinnitus, but treatments that help many people cope better with the condition are available. In most cases, your doctor may recommend you a combination of the treatments, depending on the severity of your tinnitus and the areas of your life it affects the most. These treatments include:

• Hearing aids are beneficial in people who suffer from hearing loss along with tinnitus. Using a hearing aid adjusted to carefully control outside sound levels may make it easier for you to hear.
• Counseling helps you learn how to live with your tinnitus. Most counseling programs have an educational component to help you understand what goes on in the brain to cause tinnitus. Some counseling programs also will help you change the way you think about and react to your tinnitus. You might learn some things to do on your own to make the noise less noticeable, to help you relax during the day or to fall asleep at night.
• Wearable sound generators are small electronic devices that fit in the ear and use a soft, pleasant sound to help mask the tinnitus. Some people want the masking sound to totally cover up their tinnitus, but most prefer a masking level that is just a bit louder than their tinnitus. The masking sound can be a soft “shhhhhhhhhhh,” random tones or music.
• Tabletop sound generators are used as an aid for relaxation or sleep.
• Acoustic neural stimulation is a relatively new technique for people whose tinnitus is very loud or will not go away on its own. It uses a palm-sized device and headphones to deliver a broadband acoustic signal embedded in music. The treatment helps stimulate change in the neural circuits in the brain, which eventually desensitizes you to the tinnitus.
• Cochlear implants are sometimes used in people who have tinnitus along with severe hearing loss. A cochlear implant bypasses the damaged portion of the inner ear and sends electrical signals that directly stimulate the auditory nerve. The device brings in outside sounds that help mask tinnitus and stimulate change in the neural circuits.
• Antidepressants and antianxiety drugs are effective to improve your mood and help you sleep.
• Other medications may be available at drugstores and on the Internet as an alternative remedy for tinnitus, but none of these preparations has been proved effective in clinical trials.