Tinnitus

Do you hear that sound? You may have experienced it before. It could be a ringing, roaring, chirping, swishing, thumping or hissing sound. It might be in one ear or in both ears. It might be intermittent or constant. What is that sound? It is called tinnitus, and it affects over 65 million Americans.

Tinnitus is a sound in one ear or both ears that occurs without an external stimulus. The word has its origin from Latin “tinnire” (to ring). Tinnitus can be caused by hundreds of conditions (such as ear infections, high blood pressure, heart disease or kidney disease). Sometimes individuals develop tinnitus through the use of prescription medications or as the result of a head injury. However, the most common cause of tinnitus in today’s world is exposure to loud noise over time. Any of you who served in the military or worked in heavy industry likely have experienced tinnitus. If you listen to very loud music, you will probably have tinnitus. Often it will accompany a feeling of plugged ears. After noise exposure, the ears usually return to their former listening abilities, but the tinnitus may linger.

Tinnitus can be barely loud enough to hear, or it can be as loud as the steam whistle of an ocean liner. Obviously, the louder the tinnitus is perceived, the more disruptive and disabling it will become. I have some patients who need to take medications nightly because the loudness of their tinnitus prevents them from sleeping. Fortunately, most people who have tinnitus eventually learn to ignore it.

The tinnitus that I have described above is the most common type and is referred to as subjective tinnitus. A second, very rare form, known as objective tinnitus, has been documented in the research literature. Objective tinnitus is a perceived sensation of sound that occurs in the absence of external acoustic stimulation, but that can also be heard by an examiner placing a stethoscope over the patient’s external ear canal. Objective tinnitus often has an identifiable and curable cause, while subjective tinnitus does not.

Vincent Van Gogh was plagued by tinnitus resulting from Meniere’s disease. He cut off his ear, not for a lost love as commonly thought. Rather, he believed that removing his ear would relieve him of his symptoms. Clearly, we do not recommend this as an optimal method of dealing with tinnitus.

While subjective tinnitus cannot be cured, the use of hearing instruments is an effective management technique. With hearing aids, the levels of softer sounds in the listening environment are increased. This overshadows the hearing aid wearer’s tinnitus.

You may have heard ads for homeopathic tinnitus remedies on television or radio. None of these products has shown clinical effectiveness for relief of tinnitus symptoms. Printed on each package is a disclaimer that states the product is “not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.” That pretty much sums up what benefits you can expect.

If you have questions about tinnitus contact the American Tinnitus Association (www.ata.org).