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Buzzing, Ringing, Clicking Sounds in Your Ears? It May Be Tinnitus!
Buzzing, Ringing, Clicking Sounds in Your Ears? It May Be Tinnitus!
One day you were hearing things just fine, and the next, there is a strange buzz that seems to follow you everywhere. It may not be a buzzing – maybe it’s more of a ring, or a whistle, or a click – and in some rare cases, hearing music. There doesn’t seem to be an external stimulus for it, and no one else can hear it but you. This “ringing of the ears” is known as tinnitus, an audiological and neurological condition.
Tinnitus is a fairly common condition in the United States, affecting approximately 20% of Americans – with a 90% occurrence in cases of hearing loss, which affects nearly 50 million people of all ages nationwide. A majority of people who report cases of tinnitus also report difficulty hearing. In recent years, according to the Hearing Health Foundation, 60% of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan have reported cases of tinnitus.
Types of Tinnitus
Though it is not always linked with hearing loss, tinnitus is a symptom of other underlying audiological conditions. There are two types of tinnitus: subjective and objective.
Subjective tinnitus
With subjective tinnitus, only you alone are able to hear the noises; this type is generally linked to sensorineural hearing loss, due to the death of inner ear hair cells which transmit signals of sound to the brain. Researchers have suggested that the damage to these inner ear hair cells – whether due to exposure to loud noises, age-related hearing loss, congenital conditions, or certain classes of ototoxic drugs – cause a malfunction in the auditory process which continues to generate signals to the brain where no external stimulus is present.
Objective tinnitus
On the other hand, objective tinnitus can be heard both by you and a person sitting in close proximity. Your audiologist may find that your objective tinnitus is caused by cardiovascular conditions such as high blood pressure, which constricts the small veins in your head, neck, and ear area, or somatic conditions relating to your musculo-skeletal systems. Objective tinnitus appears rarely, comprising only 1% of tinnitus cases.
Tinnitus and your emotional well-being
Aside from the indications of related medical conditions, tinnitus in and of itself is a distracting, frustrating, and stressful condition to endure. In certain instances, tinnitus may be temporary, appearing and disappearing almost at random; in others, tinnitus may be a permanent companion that accompanies you from the moment to the wake up until you try to fall asleep at night. As a result, tinnitus is often linked to sleep deprivation, higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. It is a major interference to one’s daily activities.
Tinnitus Cures & Management
There are no definitive cures for tinnitus, but there are treatments both for tinnitus and related conditions. If you are experiencing tinnitus, you may want to schedule an appointment with an audiologist for an exam. Your audiologist may be able to recommend treatment for tinnitus in the form of a hearing aid equipped with sound therapy capabilities, which alleviate the noises of tinnitus. Because so many tinnitus cases are linked to hearing loss, the prescription of hearing aids may clear the tinnitus symptoms. If your audiologist finds related medical issues, they may be able to recommend a change in diet or lifestyle – such as quitting smoking – or refer you to a medical professional for further examination.
