Tinnitus is ringing or noise in the ears. This problem appears about 1 in 5 people. It is not condition in your ears that happens alone. It happens because of underlying condition [1]. These underlying conditions can be ear-injury, circulatory system disorder and age-related hearing. This condition can bother you sometimes. But you should not worry about it. It is not serious problem. Sometimes can be worse, but this happens as the years pass by. But there is treatment that can improve your situation. Many times treating an identified underlying cause has helped. Other treatments are masking the noise and it feels like you have dissolved the problem, but it is still there.
Tinnitus types
Is it serious? In rare cases it is a sign of serious disease. For many people which are having it, this condition might come and go and be just a small irritation. Sometimes, it can affect on everyday activities. In some cases, tinnitus could be the reason for depression, affect concentration, insomnia and could be very distressing. In many cases tinnitus is getting better as the time passes by. But also, it is very important to ask for medical advice to be sure if an underlying cause can be a reason for it. Your doctor will find ways to cope with the problem. People who have been on music concert are the most affected with a risk to have tinnitus. [2,3]
Types : There are two known types of tinnitus in the medicine:
- Subjective tinnitus : in this condition, sounds can be heard only by you. This is the most common type of this disease. Subjective tinnitus is usually linked to the problems that are affecting your hearing. [4]
- Objective tinnitus : in this condition, sounds can be heard by you and your doctor, when he or she listen to your ears through a stethoscope. This type, It is not very common. Mostly it happens because you had physical problem in your past. This problem could be narrowing of your blood vessels. [5]
Symptoms: When you feel sound in your ears, but you know that there is no outside sound, this could be a reason for you to doubt either you have tinnitus or not. Symptoms of tinnitus are next:
- Roaring
- Buzzing
- Ringing
- Hissing
- Clicking
These kinds of symptoms can vary. It could be like a low roar to a high squeal. Sometimes, you can hear these sounds in one ear, but other times you are hearing these symptoms in the both ears. In some cases sound in your ears can be very loud and they will interrupt the right hearing. Because you feel loud sounds in your ear you will not be able of hearing outside sounds. You might feel like everything around you is not talking.
When to see a doctor? If you have tinnitus, you should visit your doctor. If you are constantly hearing noises in your ears, you should make an appointment with your doctor. She or he will check you and will make all the testes that are needed. If you have some respiratory infection like cold and your it is not improving within a week, than your doctor will give you the right medicines for you. You should see your doctor as soon as possible when you have been hearing loss or dizziness with the tinnitus; you have tinnitus that occurs suddenly or without an apparent cause.
Diagnosis of tinnitus: Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms and your medical history. Also, your doctor could test your head, neck and your torso because these could be underlying cause of your tinnitus. If there is a need to be surer, your doctor could look in your ears with auriscope ( the special instrument for ears testing and checking). The auriscope will help to your doctor to see your middle and outer ear. To identify the right causes for your tinnitus, your doctor could refer you to the specialist in a hearing and balance problems. You may see ENT (ear, nose and throat) surgeon or an audio-vestibular physician. You might need to have blood tests, CT or MRI scan and ultrasound. If your doctor has doubts that your tinnitus might be linked to jaw problems, than you might be referred to a dentist.
References:
[1] Han BI, Lee HW, Kim TY, et al. Tinnitus: Characteristics, causes, mechanisms, and treatments. Journal of Clinical Neurology. 2009;5(1):11–9.
[2] Bagwandin V, Joseph L. A survey exploring awareness and experience of tinnitus in young adults. South African Journal of Communication Disorders. 2017;64(1):545.
[3] Moore DR, Zobay O, Mackinnon RC, et al. Lifetime leisure music exposure associated with increased frequency of tinnitus. Hearing Research. 2017;347:18-27.
[4] Haider HF, Bojic T, Ribeiro SF, et al. Pathophysiology of subjective tinnitus: Triggers and maintenance. Frontiers in Neuroscience. 2018;12:866.
[5] Salehi PP, Kasle D, Torabi SJ, et al. The etiology, pathogeneses, and treatment of objective tinnitus: Unique case series and literature review. American Journal of Otolaryngology. 2019;40(4):594-7.
