SHC- Tinnitus Information
Tinnitus
-
Tinnitus is the perception of sound in one or both ears or in the head when no external sound is present. It is often referred to as “ringing in the ears,” although some people hear various other type of sounds.
Tinnitus has two pronunciations: tin-NIGHT-us or TIN-it-us. Both are correct. The word comes from Latin and means “to tinkle or to ring like a bell. Approximately 17% of the world population have experience tinnitus.
-
First see your primary care doctor, who will check for earwax or fluid from an ear infection. When tinnitus lasts for three months or longer, it is considered chronic. Every tinnitus patient should undergo comprehensive audiological and Tinnitus assessment by an audiologist, specialised in dealing with tinnitus, to identify and rule out ear and hearing related problems. About 80% patients with tinnitus have underlying ear/hearing related issue.
-
The exact physiological causes of tinnitus are not known. However, there are several likely sources, all of which are known to trigger or worsen tinnitus. Finding a cause of tinnitus can be simple or may require extensive diagnostic tests.
Excessive noise/ music exposure – Many people experience tinnitus after being exposed to loud noise in a workplace setting or at a sporting event or concert.
Hearing loss, which can be caused by factors such as aging or exposure to loud noise, is strongly associated with tinnitus. Coincidentally, up to 80 percent of all tinnitus patients have some level of hearing loss.
Wax build-up in the ear canal or ear infection
Certain medications – Tinnitus can be a side effect of taking certain medications, especially if they are taken at high doses. Some medications are ototoxic – that is, the medications are toxic to the ear.
Ear or sinus infections
Jaw misalignment
Cardiovascular disease – Approximately 3% of tinnitus patients experience pulsatile tinnitus. Pulsatile tinnitus can indicate the presence of a vascular condition.
Certain types of tumors – Very rarely, people have a benign and slow growing tumor on their auditory, vestibular, or facial nerve.
Head and neck trauma
Tinnitus Prevention
Treatment of tinnitus should not be done/ received without proper medical/ audiological consultation.
Even if a specific cause is never found, there is still hope for successful treatment.
Behavioral therapy and counseling can improve your well-being by helping you reduce the impact of tinnitus on your life.
Education about tinnitus can reduce anxiety by helping you recognize that the condition, in most cases, is unlikely to be linked to a serious medical condition. Through counseling, you can learn coping techniques and strategies to avoid making symptoms worse, such as by limiting your exposure to loud noise.
Cognitive behavioral therapy teaches you how to identify negative thoughts that can cause you distress. Your counsellor will train you to change your response to negative thoughts and to focus on positive changes you can make to reduce the impact of tinnitus on your life. Studies have shown that this type of therapy can help improve the well-being of people with the condition.
Tinnitus retraining therapy uses counseling and sound therapy to “retrain” the brain, both emotionally and physiologically, so that you no longer notice your tinnitus. The counseling aspect of therapy aims to help you reclassify tinnitus sounds as neutral, while the continuous low-level sound from a device worn in the ear helps you get used to the presence of tinnitus.
Medications There are no medications specifically for treating tinnitus, but your doctor may prescribe antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications to improve your mood or help you sleep. While certain vitamins, herbal extracts, and dietary supplements are commonly advertised as cures for the condition, none of these has been proven to be effective.
Special hearing aids (when tinnitus is present with hearing loss) electronic masking devices, or both, are often used. Cochlear implants and cochlear stimulation devices are being investigated for severe, intractable tinnitus cases.
Tinnitus Prevention
“You may be able to prevent ringing in the ears”
Limit or avoid exposure to loud noises, such as music, power tools, gunshots, and industrial machinery.
Wear protective earplugs or earmuffs if you cannot avoid loud noises. Do not use wadded-up tissue or cotton balls, these do not protect adequately against loud noises, especially the more dangerous high frequencies, and they may become lodged in the ear canal.
Be careful when using stereo headphones, if the music is so loud that others can hear it clearly or you can’t hear other sounds around you, then the volume is too high.
Caffeine is one of the most common tinnitus aggravators and should be very limited. Coffee, tea, caffeinated colas, and chocolate all contain significant amounts of caffeine capable of constricting blood flow to the ear.
Cut back or stop drinking alcohol and beverages containing caffeine.
Do not smoke or use smokeless tobacco products. Nicotine use may cause tinnitus by reducing blood flow to the structures of the ear.
Exercise regularly, it may prevent tinnitus because it improves blood flow to the structures of the ear.
A low-salt diet is also recommended by many medical providers, so hide that salt-shakers and watch the sodium content of foods you eat.
Maintain a healthy weight. Tinnitus occurs more frequently in obese adults.
Almost everyone experiences an occasional ringing (or roaring, hiss, buzz, or tinkling) in their ears; most tinnitus that comes and goes requires no medical treatment. But if your tinnitus is accompanied by other symptoms, becomes persistent, or starts to localize to one ear, visit an Audiologist specialised in tinnitus.