Tinnitus (TIN-i-tus) is noise or ringing in the ears. A common problem, tinnitus affects about one in five people. Barbara Streisand, Steve Martin and Sting are just some celebrities suffering from tinnitus, but maybe most famous tinnitus sufferer in history was Vincent Van Gogh who, some historian state, cut of his ear because of severe case of tinnitus. Cases can be so severe that interfere with a person's daily activities. People with severe cases of tinnitus may find it difficult to hear, work, or even sleep. Tinnitus involves the annoying sensation of hearing sound when no external sound is present. Tinnitus symptoms include these types of phantom noises in your ears:

 

Ringing, Buzzing, Roaring, Clicking, Whistling, Hissing

Many diseases can cause tinnitus. For this reason tinnitus is often viewed as a symptom of other conditions rather than a disease with its own symptoms. The most common cause of tinnitus is damage to the auditory cells in the inner ear. This is due to age-related hearing loss or exposure to very loud noise. Some causes are not serious (a small plug of wax in the ear canal might cause temporary tinnitus). Tinnitus can also be a symptom of stiffening of the middle ear bones (otosclerosis).

Tinnitus may also be caused by allergy, high or low blood pressure (blood circulation problems), a tumor, diabetes, thyroid problems, injury to the head or neck, and a variety of other causes including medications such as anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, sedatives, antidepressants, and aspirin.

Treatment for tinnitus depends on the underlying cause of the problem.

In the majority of cases, tinnitus is caused by damage to the hearing organ. In these cases, there is normally no need for treatment other than reassurance that the tinnitus is not being caused by another treatable illness.

In the very rare instance where the tinnitus is extremely bothersome, there are a number of treatment options. Some of the most helpful include antianxiety or antidepressant medication and sometimes maskers - small devices like hearing aids that help to block out the sound of the tinnitus with "white noise."

For people who are bothered by tinnitus only when trying to sleep, the sound of a fan, radio, or white noise machine is usually all that is required to relieve the problem.

Most people with tinnitus find that their symptoms are worse when under stress, so relaxation techniques can be helpful.

Avoiding caffeine is advised, as it may worsen symptoms.

Biofeedback*  may help or diminish tinnitus in some patients.

Avoid aspirin or aspirin products in large quantities

Hearing loss worsens the effect of tinnitus, so protection of hearing and avoiding loud noises is very important in preventing worsening of the symptoms.

In cases where the tinnitus is caused by one of the other rare problems (such as a tumor or aneurysm), treatment of the tinnitus involves fixing the main issue. Although this does not always resolve the tinnitus, some people note relief of their symptoms. Only a very few cases of tinnitus are caused by identifiable, repairable medical conditions.

*  Biofeedback is a method of treatment that uses monitors to feed back to patients physiological information of which they are normally unaware. By watching the monitor, patients can learn by trial and error to adjust their thinking and other mental processes in order to control "involuntary" bodily processes such as blood pressure, temperature, gastrointestinal functioning, and brain wave activity.

Tips to lessen the severity of tinnitus:

  • Avoid exposure to loud sounds and noises.

  • Get your blood pressure checked. If it is high, get your doctor’s help to control it.

  • Decrease your intake of salt. Salt impairs blood circulation.

  • Avoid stimulants such as coffee, tea, cola, and tobacco.

  • Exercise daily to improve your circulation.

  • Get adequate rest and avoid fatigue.

  • Stop worrying about the noise. Recognize your head noise as an annoyance and learn to ignore it as much as possible.