All About Tinnitus

Buzzz, shhhh, eeeee, or all of the above? Tinnitus is the sensation of hearing buzzing, ringing, or some other kind of sound.  What causes tinnitus and are there any cures or treatments?

Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, affects 50 million Americans, and roughly 20% of the global population.  Tinnitus can present in many different ways, from a high pitch whistle to a low frequency rumble.  Some people experience tinnitus only in quiet places, whereas other people experience tinnitus all day long.  In most cases, individuals experience tinnitus before sleeping, when their surrounding environment is very quiet.

Tinnitus is often associated with hearing loss.  However, having tinnitus does not mean you definitely have a hearing loss. People experiencing tinnitus are recommended to have their hearing tested to be sure.

What causes tinnitus?

Research shows that up to 90% of people that have tinnitus have some level of noise-related hearing loss.  Individuals that are exposed to noisy machinery like air compressors, skill saws, heavy trucks, and jack hammers are at a high risk for developing tinnitus.  In addition, individuals frequently exposed to loud music are at a higher risk for developing tinnitus.  In How Hearing Works, we learned that outer hair cells in our ear are responsible for picking up sound, and sending this information to the brain to be sensed as sound.  Outer hair cells can become damaged from frequent noise exposures, which may cause the sensation of tinnitus and potentially affect your hearing ability.

Here is a list of conditions that can cause tinnitus:

• Frequent Noise Exposure, damaging parts of your ear
• A single exposure to an extremely loud sound (for example, an explosion)
• An injury or trauma to the head
• Medical conditions like cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or an autoimmune disease
• Drugs and medications including some antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, loop diuretics, and antidepressants
• A blockage in the ear, an ear infection, or a tumor (rare) affecting the auditory nerve
• Neck or jaw problems
• Meniere's disease
• Presbycusis, also known as age-related hearing loss

Tinnitus Treatments

There is no cure for most cases of ongoing tinnitus.  Research has shown that stress and fatigue can make tinnitus worse.  In addition, the consumption of caffeinated beverages, drinking alcohol, and cigarette smoking can also worsen the symptoms of tinnitus.

Avoiding very loud noises can help deter tinnitus from worsening.  Research has also shown that meditation and relaxation techniques are successful in managing stress, in turn reducing tinnitus.

Hearing devices and hearing aids can also be used to reduce the annoyance of tinnitus using a technique known as masking.  In masking, a specially selected noise is introduced into a patient's ear through a hearing aid or other hearing device, distracting the patient from their tinnitus.  The use of hearing aids as a treatment for tinnitus has been proven successful when paired with effective clinical counseling from an audiologist.  When fit correctly, a recently study (MarkeTrack VIII) suggests that 2 out of 3 people reported their hearing aids relieved their tinnitus most of the time.  If you are suffering from tinnitus, it is recommended that you explore these treatment options.