What is tinnitus?
Often called head noises, tinnitus (pronounced TI-ni-tus or ti-NIGHT-us), is a sensation of sound heard by one or both ears when no external physical sound is present. The sound varies from person to person, but may be a high-pitched ringing, whining or hissing, or a low roaring noise. It can range from very mild (only heard in a quiet place) to a constant loud, annoying sound.
What causes it?
Often, the cause of tinnitus is unknown, however, the most common causes are noise-induced damage and age-related hearing loss. It also can be a symptom of wax build-up in the outer ear, middle ear problems, acoustic trauma, the ingestion of excessive aspirin, Meniere's disease and many other ear-related problems. Physical causes include concussions, cranial and cervical fractures, whiplash and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction.
What happens in the ear to result in tinnitus?
The actual mechanism responsible for tinnitus is not yet known. However, one source states that inside the cochlea, delicate hair cells, tuned to individual frequencies, are stimulated and send electrochemical neural impulses to the brain, which reads the signals as sound. When those hair cells are damaged (by loud noise, etc.), they remain in a constant state of irritation. Instead of allowing a continuous flow of sound waves, the hair cells are randomly stimulated. These random electrical impulses are interpreted by the person as noise, which is usually perceived as high-frequency ringing because the hair cells that are most frequently damaged respond in the high-frequency range.
How can tinnitus be treated?
No medication relieves tinnitus permanently. If you think you have tinnitus:
Have your hearing tested by an otolaryngologist (ear-nose-throat physician) or audiologist.
Avoid nerve stimulants, such as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol, etc.
Avoid exposure to excessive noise levels.
Reduce stress levels.
Use one of the many masking devices available.
Facts you should know:
More than 50 million people experience some form of tinnitus. Of that number, 12 million have it severely enough to seek medical help.
The word tinnitus comes from the Latin word tinnire, which means to ring or tinkle like a bell.
Noise is by far the most probable cause of tinnitus. Common leisure activities associated with noise-induced tinnitus:
- Headphone abuse
- Firearm use (hunting, skeet, target practice)
- Motorcycle riding
- Power equipment use (boat motors, lawn mowers, saws, etc.)
- Rock concert attendance
Tinnitus does not cause hearing loss, and hearing loss does not cause tinnitus, although the two often exist together.
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