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All About Tinnitus

All About Tinnitus 

 What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus, known commonly as a “ringing of the ear.” The sounds of tinnitus are personal and differ from person to person and have been described in different ways. They may sound like a pop, a buzz, a ringing, a clanging, a rush of air, a roar, a whistle, or a low rumble.

Tinnitus is a distracting and frustrating condition that often times has no singular cause. The sounds may be chronic or temporary, and they may affect one or both ears. Tinnitus may fluctuate in volume and frequency throughout the day.

Tinnitus been known to create problems with concentration and is linked to increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. People suffering from tinnitus might suffer also from sleep deprivation.

 

Who has Tinnitus?

Twenty percent of Americans experience some degree and form of tinnitus. Tinnitus is estimated to occur in 80% to 90% of cases of hearing loss. Additionally, 60% of veterans returning from combat zones report cases of tinnitus, as well as hearing loss.

 

Tinnitus and Hearing Loss

Tinnitus and hearing loss often appear together, and in some cases, may even share root causes. Age-related hearing loss and noise-induced hearing loss are related to the health of your inner ear hair cells. These inner ear hair cells are responsible for translating sound vibrations into neural signals to be recognized by your brain as sound.

Tinnitus may appear in cases of age-related or noise-induced hearing loss. In these cases, damage to inner ear hair cells may cause them to send phantom signals to the brain to be registered as sound.

Problems with the ear bone and earwax blockage in the ear canal may lead to hearing loss, as well as certain classes of drugs which damage inner ear hair cells. These also could cause temporary or chronic tinnitus.

 

Types of Tinnitus

There are two types of tinnitus: subjective and objective.

Subjective tinnitus is the more common form, making up more than 99% of tinnitus cases. With subjective tinnitus, only the person suffering from tinnitus may hear the sounds. Subjective tinnitus is often linked to age-related or noise-induced hearing loss, in which exposure to loud sounds damage the hair cells of the inner ear. Researchers have suggested that damage these inner ear cells cause them to send signals to the brain to register sound, even when no stimulus is present.

Objective tinnitus is very rare, making up less than 1% of cases. Objective tinnitus may be heard by both the person with tinnitus and someone in close proximity. Often times, objective tinnitus suggests issues with the cardiovascular system. Another form of objective tinnitus is somatic tinnitus, in which one’s blood flow or muscle spasms create body noises.

 

Causes of Tinnitus

There is no singular cause for tinnitus. Rather, a combination of factors tends to lead to tinnitus in either form. In some cases, the cause may be obvious due to impacted earwax or as a symptom of ear diseases such as Meniere’s disease, which affects the level of fluid in the inner ear.

Tinnitus may appear as a side effect of certain ototoxic medications, which include some classes of anticancer chemotherapy medications, diuretics, and antibiotics. These drugs may damage inner ear hair cells, which do not regenerate, leading to tinnitus and hearing loss.

Noise induced hearing loss and exposure to loud noises in a single event or over a long period of time may be linked to tinnitus, due to damage of the inner ear hair cells. Some specialists have suggested that noise-induced tinnitus is caused by the malfunction of inner ear cells sending constant signals to the brain to register as sound, even when there is no external stimulus.

Other causes include trauma to the head, neck, and throat area, which are all in proximity to the auditory system. Tumors, infections, as well as hormonal changes are other potential causes for tinnitus. Because tinnitus often appears as a symptom of another condition, whether it is disease or hearing loss, the causes are not abundantly clear.

 

Treating Tinnitus

Though there is no definitive cure for tinnitus, there are treatments available to alleviate the condition. If the patient’s tinnitus is linked to another medical issue, often times solving the underlying cause and finding treatments for them may alleviate the tinnitus. This includes removing impacted earwax, changing medications, or treating tumors and constricted blood vessels with medication or surgery.

Because tinnitus is commonly associated with hearing loss, a large number of hearing aid manufacturers offer devices equipped with tinnitus treatment in the form of sound therapy. These therapies include white noise generators or other soothing sounds, as well as masking devices which control the tinnitus.

For more information on tinnitus and treatment, contact us at Custom Hearing Solutions.