Tinnitus - What Is That Ringing Sound In My Ears?

What Is Tinnitus?

An annoying ringing or buzzing sound in the ear is known as Tinnitus. This can occur without warning and for no particular reason. This irritating problem can be constant, intermittent or pulsating and can be the result of a more serious underlying condition such as an infection. While this is most commonly found to be a chronic disorder, it can be managed with proper treatments and methods.

Tinnitus comes from the Latin word tinnitus which means ringing. It has been a peculiar problem for thousands of years with many varieties of treatments resulting from its existence. This condition can either be unilateral meaning one ear or bilateral meaning both ears.

There are two distinct types of Tinnitus. The first, Subjective Tinnitus refers to a noise only the affected person can hear while Objective Tinnitus can be heard by a professional health care provider. Each type carries its own cause. Objective Tinnitus is generally treatable; however subjective Tinnitus is more difficult as only the person affected can hear it.

Tinnitus is caused by:

Obstruction due to fluid or wax buildup Ear infections Damage to the eardrum or the little bones in the middle ear Aspirin overdose Meniere’s disease Brain tumor Aneurysm Traumatic head injury, such as a severe blow to the head.

A health care professional will acquire your medical history, perform a physical examination as well as enlist the aid of specialized testing such as an audiogram in order to diagnose whether you in fact have Tinnitus and what type.

Other important tests:

Auditory brain stem response (ABR), tests the hearing nerves and brain pathways CT scan MRI scan to rule out a tumor

Treatment:

Unfortunately, there is no known cure for Tinnitus; however it can be managed by introducing other noises into your environment that can take the focus off the annoying buzzing in your ears. Oftentimes, it can alleviate itself on its own; however there are some cases where it is a lifelong affliction.

Prevention:

If you suffer from a chronic disease such as hypertension, it is very important that you keep your blood pressure within the normal limits as well as stay away from stress and take your prescribed medications exactly as directed. One medication used in fighting this disease is aspirin, if not taken at the proper dosage, it can result in Tinnitus.

The noise of tinnitus can also be lessened by not concentrating on it. The more you think about it the more you hear it and the louder it gets. It can be masked by having some other sound in the room such as a fan, or anything that will cause another sound in the room other than that incessant ringing or buzzing you hear. This “white noise” is very effective in decreasing the sound of ringing in your ears.

Consult with your health care provider to rule out other causes for this condition. Adding a little white noise to your surroundings can make you forget about your tinnitus in a beautiful way.

Barb Hicks is a licensed registered nurse who loves to write and share her knowledge with others. She is a featured writer on Clivir.com where she shared more information about Causes of Hearing Loss and Hearing Loss and Nerve Damage.