What is Tinnitus?

Tinnitus (Ringing in the ears) is an auditory perception appearing without an objective sonic source from the outer environment. This noise can be in different tones and characteristics. Patients describe this noise as ringing, humming, mechanical sounds, etc. All of these noises are called tinnitus.

CAN THESE NOISES BE HEARD FROM OUTSIDE?
Generally no but in some conditions a person who listens to it may hear some sounds. These are called objective tinnitus. Objective tinnitus is generally caused by vein anomalies or spasms.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT TINNITUS
What causes tinnitus?
For subjective tinnitus where the noises can only be heard by the patient, there can be several probable causes. Some causes are not very important (a small piece of cerumen may cause tinnitus temporarily). Besides that there can be some more serious causes like infections, perforation of the tympanic membrane, effusion in the middle ear and sclerosis at the joints of the ossicles, etc. Tinnitus may appear because of the vein expansions at the head&neck area (aneurysm) or a tumor effecting the nerves that provides balance and hearing (acoustic neurinoma). In these conditions tinnitus is accompanied by a hearing losss. Allergy, hypertension or hypotension, tumor, diabetes, thyroid problems, impacts on head&neck area and many other causes like some rheumatism medications, some antibiotics,i tranquilizers and even aspirine may cause tinnitus. For this variety of causes there are also many different treatments. So it is vey important to be controlled by an experienced ENT specialist and finding the real cause.

Tinnitus is usually caused by the damages at the microscopic endings of theauditory nerves. The health of these nerve endings provides precise hearing and the damage of these nerve endings cause hearing loss and tinnitus. At later ages there happens changes at the nerve endings and these cause tinnitus. At the present day lousd noise is the probably the most frequent cause of tinnitus and it also cause hearing loss. Unfortunately most of the population is either don’t know or don’t care about how much industrial noise, fire alarms, loud music or other noises harm them. Listening to loud music with stereo headsets inctreases the risk level.

Can I do anything to survive tinnitus myself?
Yes. If you apply the suggestions in the list below, it will help to reduce your Tinnitus or at least the annoyance level. First of all, it should be reminded that the hearing organ is the most delicate and fragile system of our body. Here are some suggestions;

1. Avoid being exposed to loud music.
2. Control your blood pressure frequently. Consult your doctor to keep your blood pressure in control.
3. Reduce the intake of salt (Salt overload harms circulatory system). Avoid salty food and do not add salt to your meals.
4. Avoid coffee, coke and smoking. These are strong stimulators to your nervous system.
5. Do daily exercises, it will regulate your circulatory system.
6. Avoid getting exhausted, rest whenever necessary.
7. Do not worry about the noises. The ringing in the ears won’t cause you to be deaf or lose your mind. Accept these noises as bothersome but inconsiderable reality of your daily life and ignore them as much as you can. These type of control can be achieved by poersonal motivation or masking.
8. Try to keep your blood pressure low by controlling your temperament.