Description

Tinnitus is when you experience ringing or other noises in one or both ears. The noise you hear when you have tinnitus is not caused by an external sound, and other people can't normally hear. Tinnitus is a common problem. It affects approximately 15% to 20% of people, and is especially common in older adults.

Tinnitus is usually caused by an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, an ear injury or a problem with the circulatory system. For many people, tinnitus, improves with treatment of the underlying cause or with other treatments reduce or mask the noise, making tinnitus less noticeable.

Symptoms

Tinnitus is most often described as a ringing in the ears, although no external sound is present. However, tinnitus can also cause other types of phantom noises in the ears, including:

  • Hum
  • Roaring
  • Click
  • Whistling
  • Hum

Most of the people who have tinnitus are subjective tinnitus, or tinnitus only you can hear. The noises of tinnitus can vary in tone 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 strong that it interferes with your ability to concentrate or hear external sound. Tinnitus may be present all the time, or you can go back and forth.

In rare cases, tinnitus may occur as a rhythmic pulsation or sibilant sound, often in time with the beat of your heart. This is called pulsatile tinnitus. If you have pulsatile tinnitus, your doctor may be able to hear his tinnitus when he or she does an examination (objective tinnitus).

When to see a doctor

Some people are not very bothered by the tinnitus. For others, tinnitus disrupts your daily life. If you have tinnitus that bothers you, see your doctor.

Make an appointment to see your doctor if:

  • Develop tinnitus after an upper respiratory tract infection such as a cold, and the tinnitus does not improve in a week.

See your doctor as soon as possible if:

  • You have hearing loss or dizziness with the tinnitus.
  • You are experiencing anxiety or depression as a result of his tinnitus.

Causes

A number of health conditions that can cause or worsen tinnitus. In many cases, the exact cause is not found.

Common causes of tinnitus

In many people, tinnitus is caused by one of the following:

  • The hearing loss.There are small and delicate hair cells in the inner ear (cochlea) that move when the ear receives sound waves. This movement triggers electrical signals along the nerve from the ear to the brain (auditory nerve). The brain interprets these signals as sound. If the hairs inside your inner ear are bent or broken — this happens with age, or when they are exposed to loud sounds can "leak" random electrical impulses to your brain, causing tinnitus.
  • Infection in the ear or in the ear canal lock. His ear canals can be blocked with a build-up of fluid (ear infection), wax, dirt, or other foreign material. A lock can change the pressure in the ear, causing the tinnitus.
  • The head or neck injuries. The head or neck trauma can affect the inner ear, hearing nerves or brain function linked to hearing. These injuries generally cause tinnitus in only one ear.
  • Drugs.A number of medications that can cause or worsen tinnitus. In general, the higher the dose of these medicines, in the worst of tinnitus becomes. Often, unwanted noise go away when you stop taking these medicines. Medications known to cause tinnitus include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Nsaids), and certain antibiotics, cancer medications, water pills (diuretics), anti-malarial drugs and antidepressants.

The hearing loss. There are small and delicate hair cells in the inner ear (cochlea) that move when the ear receives sound waves. This movement triggers electrical signals along the nerve from the ear to the brain (auditory nerve). The brain interprets these signals as sound.

If the hairs inside your inner ear are bent or broken — this happens with age, or when they are exposed to loud sounds can "leak" random electrical impulses to your brain, causing tinnitus.

Drugs. A number of medications that can cause or worsen tinnitus. In general, the higher the dose of these medicines, in the worst of tinnitus becomes. Often, unwanted noise go away when you stop taking these medicines.

Medications known to cause tinnitus include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Nsaids), and certain antibiotics, cancer medications, water pills (diuretics), anti-malarial drugs and antidepressants.

Other causes of tinnitus

Less common causes of tinnitus include other ear problems, chronic diseases, and injuries or conditions that affect the nerves in your ear or the hearing center in your brain.

  • Meniere's disease. Tinnitus can be an early indicator of Meniere's disease, a disorder of the inner ear that can be caused by abnormal inner ear fluid pressure.
  • The dysfunction of the eustachian tube. In this condition, the ear tube that connects the middle ear to the upper part of your throat is still being expanded all the time, that can make your ear feel full.
  • Ear bone changes. Stiffening of the bones in the middle ear (otosclerosis) may affect your hearing and cause tinnitus. This condition, caused by abnormal bone growth, tends to run in families.
  • Muscle spasms in the inner ear. The muscles in the inner ear can be taut (spasm), which can cause tinnitus, hearing loss and a sensation of fullness in the ear. Sometimes this happens for no reason explained, but can also be caused by neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.
  • The Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Problems with the TEMPOROMANDIBULAR joint , the joint on each side of the head in front of the ears, where the lower part of your jaw meets your skull, can cause tinnitus.
  • Acoustic Neuroma or other tumors of the head and neck. Acoustic Neuroma is a noncancerous (benign) tumor that develops on the cranial nerve that goes from the brain to your inner ear and controls balance and hearing. The head, neck, or brain tumors can also cause tinnitus.
  • Disorders of the blood vessels. Conditions that affect the blood vessels — such as atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, or bent, or malformations of the blood vessels — can cause the blood moves through the veins and arteries more forcefully. These changes in blood flow can cause tinnitus or make tinnitus more noticeable.
  • Other chronic conditions. Diseases such as diabetes, thyroid issues, migraines, anemia, and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, have all been associated with the tinnitus.

Risk factors

Any person may experience tinnitus, but these factors can increase your risk:

  • The loud noise of the exhibition. Loud noises, such as those from heavy equipment, chain saws and firearms, are common sources of noise-related hearing loss. Portable music devices such as MP3 players, also can cause noise-related hearing loss if played loudly for long periods. The people who work in noisy environments — such as factory and construction workers, musicians, and soldiers — are particularly at risk.
  • Age. With age, the number of functioning nerve fibers in your ears lowered, possibly causing hearing problems are often associated with tinnitus.
  • Sex. Men are more likely to experience tinnitus.
  • Use of tobacco and alcohol. Smokers have a higher risk of developing tinnitus. The consumption of alcohol also increases the risk of tinnitus.
  • Certain health problems. Obesity, cardiovascular problems, high blood pressure, and a history of arthritis or injury in the head all increase your risk of tinnitus.

Complications

Tinnitus affects people differently. For some people, tinnitus can significantly affect the quality of life. If you have tinnitus, you may also experience:

  • Fatigue
  • Stress
  • Sleep problems
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Memory problems
  • Depression
  • Anxiety and irritability
  • Headaches
  • Problems with your work and family life

The treatment of these diseases linked to chromosome may not affect the tinnitus directly, but it can help you to feel better.

Prevention

In many cases, tinnitus is the result of something that can't be prevented. However, some precautions that can help prevent certain types of tinnitus.

  • The use of hearing protection. Over time, exposure to loud sounds can cause damage to the nerves in the ear, causing hearing loss and tinnitus. Try to limit your exposure to loud sounds. And if you cannot avoid loud sounds, use ear protection to help protect your hearing. If the use of chain saws, is a musician, work in an industry that uses the loud machinery or the use of firearms (especially pistols or shotguns), always use over-the-ear hearing protection.
  • Turn down the volume. Long-term exposure to amplified music without ear protection or listen to music at very high volume through headphones can cause hearing loss and tinnitus.
  • Take care of your cardiovascular health. Exercise regularly, eat well, and take other measures to keep the blood vessels healthy can help prevent tinnitus linked to obesity and disorders of the blood vessels.
  • Limit the consumption of alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. These substances, especially when used in excess, can affect the flow of blood and contribute to tinnitus.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will usually diagnose tinnitus based only on the symptoms. But in order to treat your symptoms, your doctor will also try to identify if the tinnitus is caused by another, underlying condition. Sometimes a cause can't be found.

To help identify the cause of your tinnitus, your doctor will likely ask about your medical history and examine your ears, head, and neck. Common tests include:

  • Hearing (audiological) exam. During the test, you'll sit in a soundproof room wearing earphones that convey specific sounds into one ear at a time. You'll indicate when you can hear the sound, and your results will be compared with results considered normal for your age. This can help rule out or identify possible causes of tinnitus.
  • Movement. Your doctor may ask you to move your eyes, clench your jaw, or move your neck, arms and legs. If your tinnitus changes or worsens, it may help identify an underlying disorder that requires treatment.
  • Imaging tests. Depending on the suspected cause of your tinnitus, you may need imaging tests such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.
  • The laboratory tests. Your doctor may draw blood to check for anemia, thyroid problems, heart disease or vitamin deficiencies.

Do your best to describe to your doctor about what type of tinnitus noises you hear. The sounds that can be heard can help your doctor to identify a possible underlying cause.

  • Click. This type of sound suggests that the muscle contractions in and around the ear can be the cause of your tinnitus.
  • Pulsing, running or humming. These sounds are generally made up of the blood vessels (vascular) causes, such as high blood pressure, and you may notice when you exercise or change positions, such as when you lie down or stand up.
  • Low tone. This type of sound can point to ear canal locks, Meniere's disease or stiffness in the interior of the ear bones (otosclerosis).
  • High-pitched ringing. This is the most commonly heard sound of buzzing. Probable causes include loud noise exposure, hearing loss or medications. Acoustic Neuroma can cause continuous, and high-pitched ringing in one ear.

Treatment

Treatment for tinnitus depends on if the tinnitus is caused by an underlying health conditions. If so, your doctor may be able to reduce your symptoms by treating the underlying cause. Examples include:

  • Remove the wax of the ear. Removing a wax blockage can reduce the symptoms of tinnitus.
  • The treatment of a condition of the blood vessels. Underlying blood vessel conditions may require medication, surgery or other treatment to address the problem.
  • The hearing aids. If the tinnitus is caused by noise-induced or age-related hearing loss, the use of hearing aids can help improve your symptoms.
  • The change of the medication. If a medicine you are taking, seems to be the cause of tinnitus, your doctor may recommend the suspension or reduction of the drug, or switching to a different drug.

Noise suppression

Many times, the tinnitus can't be cured. But there are treatments that can help to make the symptoms less noticeable. Your doctor may suggest the use of an electronic device to suppress the noise. The devices include:

  • White noise machines. These devices, which produce a sound similar to the static electricity, or environmental sounds like rain or ocean waves, are often an effective treatment for tinnitus. You may want to try a white noise machine with pillow speakers to help you sleep. Fans, humidifiers, dehumidifiers and air conditioners in the bedroom also produce white noise, and it can help make tinnitus less noticeable in the night.
  • Masking devices. Worn in the ear, and similar to hearing aids, these devices produce a continuous, low-level white noise that suppresses the symptoms of tinnitus.

Advice

The behavioral treatment options aim to help you live with tinnitus for helping to change the way you think and feel about their symptoms. With time, the tinnitus can bother you less. The advice of the options include:

  • Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT). TRT is an individualized program that is usually administered by an audiologist or a tinnitus treatment center. TRT combines the sound of masking and the advice of a trained professional. Normally, carry a device in the ear that help mask your tinnitus symptoms, while also receives policy advice. Over time, TRT can help you to realize that the tinnitus less and feel less distressed by their symptoms.
  • The cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or other forms of counseling. A licensed mental health professional or a psychologist can help you learn coping techniques to make tinnitus symptoms less bothersome. Counseling can also help with other problems often linked to tinnitus, including anxiety and depression. Many mental health professionals of the offer of CBT for tinnitus individually or in group sessions, and the CBT programs are also available online.

Drugs

Drugs cannot cure tinnitus, but in some cases may help to reduce the severity of symptoms or complications. To help relieve your symptoms, your doctor may prescribe a medication to treat an underlying condition or to help treat anxiety and depression that often accompany tinnitus.

Potential future treatments

Researchers are investigating whether magnetic or electrical stimulation of the brain can help to relieve the symptoms of tinnitus. Examples include transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and deep brain stimulation.

Lifestyle and home remedies

Often, tinnitus cannot be treated. Some people, however, get used to it and less noticeable than they did in the first. For many people, some of the settings to make the symptoms less bothersome. These tips may help:

  • The use of hearing protection. Over time, exposure to loud sounds can cause damage to the nerves in the ear, causing hearing loss and tinnitus. To keep your tinnitus from getting worse, take action to protect your hearing. If the use of chain saws, is a musician, work in an industry that uses the loud machinery or the use of firearms (especially pistols or shotguns), always use over-the-ear hearing protection.
  • Turn down the volume. Listen to music at a very high volume through headphones can contribute to hearing loss and tinnitus.
  • The use of white noise. If the tinnitus is particularly noticeable in a quiet area, try using a machine of white noise to mask the noise from tinnitus. If you don't have a machine to white noise, a fan, soft music or low-volume radio static may also help.
  • Limit the consumption of alcohol, caffeine and nicotine. These substances, especially when used in excess, can affect the flow of blood and contribute to tinnitus.

Alternative medicine

There is little evidence that alternative medicine treatments for tinnitus. However, some alternative therapies that have been tested for tinnitus include:

  • Acupuncture
  • Ginkgo biloba
  • Melatonin
  • Zinc supplements

Coping and support

In addition to the treatment options offered by your doctor, here are a few suggestions to help you deal with tinnitus:

  • The support groups. Share your experience with other people who have tinnitus can be useful. There are tinnitus groups that meet in person, as well as internet forums. To ensure that the information that you get in the right group, it is better to choose a group facilitated by a physician, audiologist, or other qualified health care professional.
  • Education. Learn as much as you can about tinnitus and ways to relieve the symptoms can help. And only the understanding of tinnitus better makes it less annoying for some people.
  • The management of stress. Stress can make tinnitus worse. The management of stress, whether through relaxation therapy, biofeedback or exercise, may provide some relief.

Preparing for your appointment

Be prepared to tell your doctor about:

  • Its signs and symptoms
  • Your medical history, including other health conditions, such as the loss of hearing, high blood pressure or obstruction of the arteries (atherosclerosis)
  • All the medicines you take, including herbal remedies

What to expect from your doctor

Your doctor may ask you a series of questions, including:

  • When did you begin experiencing symptoms?
  • What does the noise sound like?
  • Do you hear in one or both ears?
  • Has the sound you hear was continuous, or does it come and go?
  • How loud is the noise?
  • How much does the noise bother you?
  • What, if anything, seems to improve your symptoms?
  • What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
  • Have you been exposed to loud noises?
  • Have had a disease of the ear or head injury?

After you have been diagnosed with tinnitus, you may need to see an ear, nose and throat (ent). You may also need to work with an audience of experts (audiologist).

Symptoms and treatment of Tinnitus