1. What is Tinnitus
People may be familiar with the sensation, but hearing it for the first time, one will surely ask: what is Tinnitus? Tinnitus (Latin, “ringing”) is the perception of a ringing or booming sensation in one or both ears. The sounds are usually described as unpleasant hissing, whistling, or roaring noises experienced either continuously or intermittently. While it is not a serious disease but often a symptom of an underlying medical condition, tinnitus can cause great psychological distress. Tinnitus is more prevalent in Caucasians, and in the United States about 44 million people suffer from tinnitus while about 17% are affected worldwide.
2. Are there risk factors
While anyone can suffer from Tinnitus, studies found that age is a contributing factor. Thus, hearing loss and development of hardened arteries, usually due to worn bodily functions brought about by aging, can increase risk for Tinnitus.
Tinnitus may affect anyone. However, it is more common with increasing age. People who are prone to hardening of the arteries are at greater risk for Tinnitus than the general population. In addition, individuals who work in noisy surroundings are also at greater risk for developing Tinnitus. But in fact there are many causes for Tinnitus.
3. What are the kinds of Tinnitus?
Objective Tinnitus – In rare cases, the affected patient hears sounds that can also be perceived by another person. This phenomenon may arise from muscle spasms or problem with the jaw joint or the Eustachian tube that connects the ear and back of the nose. Pulsatile Tinnitus, a form of objective Tinnitus, occurs when the sound heard beats in time with the heart.
Subjective Tinnitus – The common type, subjective Tinnitus results from otologic disorders that also precipitate hearing loss. Exposure to excessive or loud noises, ototoxic drugs, and other medications are factors that can reinforce one another to cause subjective Tinnitus.
4. What are the causes of Tinnitus?
Muscles attached to two bones in the in the middle ear contract to protect the inner ear from loud noises. When these muscles produce rhythmic contractions or spasms, a clicking sound is produced by the ear bones attached to them, causing objective Tinnitus. Other causes also include pulsing blood flow through the arteries in the neck or jugular vein, spasms of the throat muscle associated with the Eustachian tube (palatal myoclonus), blood vessel disorders (aneurysm, tumour) or in serious cases, increased fluid pressure surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The more common cause of Tinnitus involves hearing loss that one theory suggests may be due to the brain creating its own noise to make up for the loss of sound signals. This noise is then interpreted as ringing or buzzing characterized by Tinnitus. In Meniere’s disease, the condition is accompanied by dizziness, hearing loss in one or two ears, and fullness of the ear.
5. How is Tinnitus diagnosed? Are there treatments available?
X-rays, MRIs or CT scan may be done to determine whether physical defects are present in the ear. Other tests include audiograms, evoked response audiometry, tinnitus pitch and loudness matches, maskability, and residual inhibition. These are designed to measure hearing and detest the intensity and magnitude of tinnitus.
It is not yet possible to treat the cause of tinnitus; fortunately, there are Tinnitus treatments and procedures available to ease the symptoms. Tinnitus control, a homeopathic relief drug, is currently available in the market. Other drugs used to attenuate tinnitus include lidocaine (intravenous), alprazam, and anticonvulsants.
In severe cases, surgery is performed to divide the auditory nerve and decrease noise. Relaxation training, yoga or meditation, hypnosis, or acupuncture are techniques that are worth trying, too.
