"What is Tinnitus?"

Tinnitus is the medical term for the perception of sound when no external sound is present. Tinnitus is often referred to as a ringing in the ears although some people will experience it as:

whining,
screaming,
cicadas,
hissing,
roaring,
whistling,
chirping,
clicking or clucking noises.

Tinnitus can be intermittent or constant with single or multiple tones and its perceived volume can range from subtle to shattering.

"What Is Temporary Tinnitus?"

Most people experience a temporary tinnitus condition at some point in their life, such as after a loud concert, or as a complication to an inner ear infection.

Unfortunately for some 17% of the adult population, this condition is chronic - it never goes away.

Of the 66+ million people in North America with chronic tinnitus, some 12 million have a severe case.

For these people it is not unusual to perceive a tone greater than 90 dB-SPL. Note that 80dB-SPL is the level in industry at which a hearing conservation program is required. (Room-level conversation is typically 65 dB-SPL and a jet engine is around 110 dB-SPL)

"What Is Chronic Tinnitus?"

Chronic tinnitus can be caused in a number of ways: an over-exposure to constant loud or explosive noise (on the job exposure is a common source), reaction to medication, a head injury (car crashes are a common source), complication of illness, and others.

One of the most common complaints related to tinnitus is that it adversely affects sleeping patterns, thereby increasing stress and anxiety levels.

Tinnitus sufferers find they can't get to sleep in a quiet room because of the annoying sound they perceive in their head. For many, this results in being progressively sleep deprived, and can start a downward spiral in psychological health.

The reality is that tinnitus is the only hearing affliction where anxiety, depression, and contemplating suicide are normal psychological complications.

"Does it get worse?"

For most tinnitus sufferers, their perceived level of tinnitus is not constant and can worsen from exposure to high intensity noise, negative emotional pressures, stress, anxiety, heavy physical exertion, caffeine, salt, tobacco, allergens, and certain medications.

Outside of a cure, the most common desire of tinnitus sufferers is to be able to control their tinnitus rather than have it control them. A major factor in this is being able to sleep well and have the energy to face tinnitus every day.

When tinnitus sufferers feel they have control, they are once again able to lead productive lives and many are able to get off all medications.

"What Are Common symptoms of tinnitus?"

The noise heard in the ear can be a high-pitched ringing or whistling or buzzing, ringing, hissing, roaring, crackling, buzzing, cicada like sounds, or even a quite complex sound.

The tinnitus sounds may be constant or come and go.

"Do Tinnitus noises vary greatly in loudness?"

Tinnitus often seems worse when background noise is low, so you may be most aware of it at night when you're trying to fall asleep in a quiet room.

Some people with tinnitus experience no difficulty with hearing, and in a few cases they even become so acutely sensitive to sound (hyperacusis) that they must take steps to muffle or mask external noises.

The cause of tinnitus is usually unknown, and most people with tinnitus never find out why they have it.

It is equally common in men and women and can be associated with almost any disorder of the ear.

Tinnitus is associated with hearing loss from any cause and for this reason it is more common in older people who have age-related hearing loss.

Specific causes of tinnitus include:

Meniere's disease, a condition comprising deafness, dizziness and tinnitus, caused by increased pressure in the inner ear,

trauma to the ear as a result of loud noises and blasts,

otosclerosis, a condition in which the small bones of the middle ear become immobile,

ear infections and inflammation,

wax in the ear,

secretory otitis media (an ear infection often known as 'glue ear') in children,

acoustic neuroma, a benign (non-cancerous) tumour of the nerve which goes from the ear to the brain,

high doses of drugs including aspirin, quinine and some antibiotics,

anaemia,

head injury,

low thyroid hormone levels (hypothyroidism),

disorders of the heart and blood vessels,

high blood pressure,

temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction (pain in the head, jaw and face when the parts of the TMJ do not work properly together).

"Can Stress Make The Tinnitus Worse?"

Whatever the cause of the tinnitus, it is almost always made worse by stress, which can be physical, emotional or psychological. Some sufferers can clearly hear the sound of their tinnitus and are able to live with it quite happily. In others, the sound is terribly annoying and can often drive them to distraction. The sound can be in both ears or in only one.

© 20058 by JJ Currie — All Rights Reserved

JJ Currie at www.alphatinnitusformulas.com