What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus (pronounced ti-ni-tis), or ringing in the ears, is the sensation of hearing ringing, buzzing, hissing, chirping, whistling, or other sounds. The noise can be intermittent or continuous, and can vary in loudness. It is often worse when background noise is low, so you may be most aware of it at night when you're trying to fall asleep.

For the vast majority of people, tinnitus is a subjective sound which means that only the person who has it can hear it. It can be soft or loud. Tinnitus originates inside the head and the onset may be gradual or sudden.

Tinnitus Management

What Causes Tinnitus?

There are many possible causes of tinnitus, however many are actually unknown. The most common causes are:

  • Exposure to loud sounds
  • Injuries to the head or neck
  • Reaction to medication (Ototoxicity)
  • Natural aging
  • Sudden impact noises
  • Untreated medical conditions
  • Swimmer's Ear
  • Presence of a foreign body
  • Absence or malformation of the outer ear, ear canal, or middle ear

Tinnitus and Hearing Loss

Tinnitus and Hearing Loss are often intertwined. Roughly 90% of those suffering from tinnitus experience some degree of hearing loss.

Hearing aids are helpful for many people who have tinnitus. Most people have shown marked improvement with their tinnitus simply by wearing hearing aids. This is because your brain has other sounds to listen to, making your tinnitus less noticeable.

Fortunately, research for this issue has led to new advances in hearing technology that targets tinnitus specifically. Call us to learn more about these solutions and if they apply to you.

The Effects of Tinnitus

Tinnitus affects everyone differently. The most common areas include:

  • Emotions: Many can become annoyed, frustrated, depressed, anxious or angry about it
  • Hearing Loss: In some, the sounds of tinnitus mask speech and environmental sounds
  • Sleep: In many, tinnitus is most prevalent in a quiet environment such as in bed, making it difficult to sleep
  • Concentration: Some sufferers find it difficult to concentrate due to the constant ringing

Tinnitus Treatments

While there is no cure for tinnitus, it can be managed. Our professional team can help you gain control and take back your life by forming a course of treatment that suits your specific needs.

Our goal is to help you understand and gain control of your tinnitus rather than letting it take control over you. Call us today to learn how.