Understanding Tinnitus

Tinnitus is not just one condition, it is in fact a symptom which is in fact caused by a number of variables. Tinnitus is a perceived sound that is heard, but in reality does not exist. At some time or other everyone has had ringing in their ears, but tinnitus is on a different level of severity. This condition can be life changing, leading to other conditions such as irritability or sleep loss. A doctor or ear specialist must check the symptoms if tinnitus is suspected.



The noise that is heard by tinnitus sufferers can be of various types. The most common sound is ringing, but it also can be perceived as whining or buzzing, occasssionly it can be a more defined noise like a musical sound.



As mentioned earlier, tinnitus has a range of causes, a lot of which are not accidental. One of the most common causes is noise induced hearing loss. The reasons for this can be using headphones to listen to very loud music for a very long time. Another cause could be from a short deafening noise like explosions. Tinnitus can build as people get older along with hearing loss.



Objective and subjective are the forms of tinnitus. If there is a genuine sound coming from the ear then this is referred to as objective. The cause of this is altered blood flow causing muscle spasms. This can be diagnosed by a doctor or ear specialist.



Noise induced hearing loss is known as subjective tinnitus. There is no actual sound, the noise heard by the patient is a problem with the function of the ear instead of a quantifiable noise. This type of tinnitus is a lot more common, although it is more difficult to indentify.



Measuring subjective tinnitus is carried out by asking the patient to listen to sounds to see if they can easily hear them. The sound cannot be heard by the patient if it is played at a similar frequency, or at an identical volume level as the tinnitus noise itself.



An easy way to avoid subjective tinnitus can be listen to music with headphones at a much lower volume level. The problem with headphones are that the sound doesn’t give the ear the chance to absorb it because it is driven straight into the ear. On the other hand objective tinnitus is not really preventable, but is far less common. In conclusion if you are suffering from tinnitus of either type seek medical advice as soon as possible.